Black Fire
by Flamma Black
Summary: PostOOTP. A new arrival to Hogwarts stirs up some old memories and a past that some would rather have not reared its ugly head. A past that concerns the PureBlood Wars and the night the Lily and James died. The first in the Trilogy of Black.
1. Chapter 1 'Repetition'

**Chapter One**

**Repetition**

For the first time in five years, it was raining during the summer in Little Whinging, Surrey. It reflected his mood almost perfectly; the rain was his tears, the clouds his solitude and the damp smelling earth the pain he'd absorbed over the last month. He felt blocked off from the world, emotionally and physically, but it wasn't as though they didn't try to help him, he just didn't want it. He seemed to think that whenever he got close to someone all he did was end up hurting them; his parents, Sirius, even Cho, but he couldn't bring himself to contemplate hurting Ron or Hermione, the Weasleys and hell, every student at his damn school, but he knew it wasn't healthy locking himself away like that.

But his life was different from every other person at his school. He was Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Freakin'-Lived and for that one reason his life was turned upside-down every time he walked into the castle that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...

On his bedside table a small mirror reflected speck of light onto the ceiling, shaking slightly as though someone was rocking the surface on which it lay. Harry watched the light dance feebly over the white plaster and felt tears seep down the sides of his face. He didn't like letting people see him cry, but he was alone and so he let the tears fall. Inside him it was as though a balloon was swelling, waiting to be burst, waiting for the right time so when he finally did crack up and become a basket case he would have an audience... oh yes, fun, fun, fun.

He turned onto his side and forced himself into a disturbed and uncomfortable sleep...

_He was walking down the corridor of the Department of Mysteries, he was in the circular room once more and as he strode forwards he did not enter the room of clocks nor the one of space, but the tall hall with its many tiers surrounding the archway and the veil... Sirius was standing on the dais, his grin a mixture of shock and fear, Bellatrix was laughing loudly her wand glowing bright red and Harry was running, running towards Sirius, but he had fallen through, again, he rounded on Bellatrix and pulled his wand out but she blasted him with a curse and his wand turned to ashes in his hand, again she laughed, but this time it was joined with an evil voice, shrill and snake-like mocking Harry as he ran for the veil..._

He sat bolt upright on his bed. He was covered in cold sweat and he was shaking violently. "I see you haven't been practicing anymore Mr. Potter," an old voice sounded through the darkness of his room, whether it was night time or afternoon he could not tell. He whipped his head from side to side, picking up his wand as he did so, searching for the intruder in his bedroom.

His eyes fell upon a shadowy outline, just out of the light. "Who is it?" he said, sounding scared stiff at the prospect that this person could be a Death Eater, sent to kill him in his sleep... but his mother's magic...

"I am terribly sorry if I woke you Harry, but I rather thought it wise," the voice spoke again, but this time Albus Dumbledore walked into the speck of light the outside world was permitting and smiled down at him. "I am also sorry if I scared you."

Harry blinked, why was his Headmaster in his bedroom?

"Professor...No, I haven't practiced since S – Professor Snape refused to give me anymore lessons," Harry told Dumbledore.

"The Order has told me that they've been having some trouble trying to keep you in contact. They've told me that they've sent countless members to your house and each time they find, no neglect, no mistreating, but a boy who has attempted to shut himself off from every living being, not even your owl wants to stay in the same room as you, but to be honest I can now understand the situation. May I ask how long it has been since you had a shower Harry?"

This time Harry glared at his Headmaster, how long since his last shower? Why on earth he wanted to know that for was beyond him. "I... don't remember," Harry said truthfully.

"Well, Harry, if you wish for me to be brutally honest, you're a mess and quite frankly your room smells," Dumbledore spoke calmly, Harry goggled at him.

"Erm, professor, have you, by any chance, been force-fed half a cauldron of a truth potion?" he asked, never before had Dumbledore ever spoken like this to Harry, well not quite this bluntly.

"No of course I haven't! We have Alastor Moody checking our food and drinks for poisons and the such-like every day before breakfast, lunch and dinner and I am sure nothing of the sort would get past Mad-Eye." He smile fondly at Harry and held out to him a small box wrapped neatly in the Gryffindor colours. "I do believe today is your birthday."

The shadows were swirling dark green through the blackness. A pale faced man sat in his chair; the dim candle light catching the chair's silver and dancing with it through the darkness. There was a knock at the door and a man entered the room, a hooded cloak pulled high over his head shadowing his face from view.

"Master, I have come to you with information on your most threatening enemy..."

"Excellent, my plan will soon begin and my dearest will be the one to instigate it," the man in the chair hissed, the man before him nodded curtly and turned to leave the room. "No, don't leave; if my plans are to be carried out over the following year my... fiancé's life will need to be shielded from the goodness of Albus Dumbledore and his Muggle loving ideas. Do you understand me, my most loyal of all Death Eaters?"

The man nodded once more. "Yes Master, of course Master, where is she?" he said clearly.

The snake-like man laughed. "Well, if you follow me, I shall introduce you."

Harry was walking down the stairs in the Dursley household, with Dumbledore closely following, when it happened, he collapsed, falling down the rest of the stairs landing in a heap on the floor. On his awakening he found himself still on the floor, his Aunt looking down on him, but she had a slight hint of pity in her eyes, his cousin stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a piece of chocolate cake in one hand and a can of coke in the other, looking on piggy eyed at Harry's current state of mind, his Uncle standing in the front doorway, clearly only just returning home from work with a look of horror and fury on his face and Dumbledore, a hand on his shoulder and a wand in his right hand.

"Boy, get off my floor," Harry heard his Uncle's voice boom; he saw his eyes fall upon Dumbledore. "Who in the blazes are you?"

Dumbledore stood up in a sweep of robes, causing Uncle Vernon to take a few steps backwards. "I am Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and Head of the Order of the Phoenix," Harry noticed his Uncle take another step away. "I am here to see if Harry is alright and, at this present moment, I do not think he is," he kneeled down once more and looked into Harry's eyes. "So, tell me, what happened?"

He began to explain how his scar burst into uncontrollably agonising pain one unlike any other Harry had ever felt Voldemort feel, and he knew why... Voldemort was happy... very happy.

Half an hour passed in silence around the Dursley's' kitchen table, each of them had a cup of tea in hand. After learning that Dumbledore was in fact the reason Harry had been placed in their guardianship in the first place, Uncle Vernon began to bleat on about how weird freaks like him should not be allowed to do such things, he only stopped when Dumbledore, subtly, picked his wand up from the table and began to twiddle it between his fingers.

"If it alright with the two of you, I would like your permission to take Harry back to the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix for the remainder of the summer?" He looked from happy face to happy face.

Petunia filled Dumbledore's cup up to the brim despite his protests that he had had enough and said bluntly, "Of course Mr. Dumbledore that will not be a problem at all," he smiled at her and started on emptying his cup once again. Harry saw his Aunt and Uncle, exchange gleeful looks of pure delight, but only once the Headmaster had busied himself with his cup and saucer once again.

"Well Harry, let's get going," Dumbledore said as he jumped to his feet, Harry distinctly notice him point his wand at his cup of tea making the contents vanish discreetly.

"Should I go and pack away my things..." he spoke but his Headmaster cut him off.

"There will be no need for that." He waved his wand towards the ceiling and as the Dursleys stared in horror towards the wand, they heard a few loud bangs. They looked at Dumbledore as though he was some grotesque madman waving a loaded gun in their direction. "I am terribly sorry; my mind is on other things." The noises ceased and suddenly Harry's trunk went flying through the kitchen slowly stopping in front of the old Headmaster.

"Professor, I need Hedwig," Harry spoke, her heard his Uncle tut disapprovingly at the mention of Harry's beautiful, snowy, pet owl.

"Ah, yes, I'm very sorry about that, but I do believe she is waiting for you at Headquarters. I shall just fetch her cage." He gave another swish of his wand and the cage flew into the kitchen, taking the same path as the trunk.

"Erm, good-bye then Uncle Vernon... Aunt Petunia... Dudley," Harry said to the Dursleys. They looked at him and muttered their unemotional farewells in turn, broad grins plastered over each face equally.

Dumbledore turned around towards the back door, Harry's belongings still following in his wake when he stopped and beckoned to Harry to follow him. Harry was in the middle of contemplating how the Dursley's would react if his Headmaster walked out of their house with a trunk and an owl's cage floating, untouched, in midair when a flash of brilliant bright white light shone through the kitchen. As the light began to dissipate, the outline of a large bird was left in its wake.

Fawkes the phoenix was standing on the kitchen sideboard picking at his tail feathers, seemingly unhappy with his appearance. "Good day Mr. and Mrs Dursley, Dudley, it was nice to finally meet you." Dumbledore nodded to each of them in turn, indicated to Harry to hold onto the phoenix's tail feathers as he was and in another flash of light, they were gone.

The hallway was dark, breathing was coming from somewhere to his left and, for a strange moment, and he believed that something about the whole situation seemed too good to be true. The lamps in the hallway must have only just gone out, as the smell of burning was prominent in the air. He could see, as his eyes adjusted to the darkness that there were two thick curtains drawn together where the breathing seemed to be coming from.

"Dumbledore, good to see you're back," a familiar voice echoed through the darkness yet it was hushed. "Harry! How are you?" the voice enquired as a wand tip ignited illuminating Mad-Eye Moody's face into sharp relief, his heavily scared skin glowing ominously in the wand-light, but the curtains to Harry's left burst open now Moody had lighted his wand.

"FITHLY BLOOD TRAITOR... HOW DARE SHE? HE WAS MY ONLY HEIR...!" the voice shrieked through the house, a wave of pain swept through Harry, grief engulfing him, Sirius' mother was talking about her last living son's death and his murderer cousin Bellatrix, the woman who had haunted his nightmares for the last month.

"Someone draw those ruddy curtains!" Moody bellowed in his ear as he saw two men run down the corridor from a room in front of him, telling them to calm down. Mr. Weasley was a tall thin wizard with a love of muggles and head of flaming red hair, even though with his age he was going bald. Accompanying him was Remus Lupin, while young he was still a powerful wizard but, due to being a bitten by a werewolf as a small child, looked worn out and gaunt, the grey in his hair more prominent than ever in his dark brown.

The four wizards before Harry began to pull the thick and heavy curtains across Sirius' mother's portrait. "Why has she had a change of heart?" he asked once they'd silenced her.

Mr. Weasley looked down upon Harry, a look of sympathy in his eyes. "Well, Sirius was her only heir, so she's a bit angry with Bellatrix to say the..."

"HOW DARE HE? THAT FILTHY MUGGLE-LOVER WILL NOT SPEAK HER NAME IN FRONT OF ME! I AM A GREIVING MOTHER!" her voice boomed again as the curtains flew back open.

"You three should take Harry down to the cellar; I believe Ron and Hermione are down there waiting for him... No Alastor, I shall handle Mrs. Black on my own, I have had the... pleasure of meeting her after all," Dumbledore spoke through the blind and dusty blackness.

The basement kitchen was as it had been the last time he'd been there, his stomach wrenched awfully, the last time he had seen it his head had been in the fire asking Kreacher about his godfathers' whereabouts. As he stood staring at the fireplace he saw Ron's red head somewhere to his right with a mass of dark brown. He tore his vision away from the fire, but only just and out of the corner of his right eye he could've sworn he had seen Hermione and Ron drop their grip on each others hands, but no... They couldn't be...

"Earth to Harry, is anybody home?" Ron's voice echoed in his head. He blinked a fair few times before his sight became focused upon Ron's shoulders; he had obviously grown over their three weeks apart.

"HARRY!" Hermione yelled jumping towards him, elbowing Ron out of the way and flinging her arms around his neck. "I'm so sorry we haven't been writing that much, things have been really busy here." Her cheeks looked flushed as she pulled away from him and when he looked at Ron, he noticed his ears were a considerably bright shade of pink.

"So, what's been going on here?" he asked and noticed Ron and Hermione exchange slight glances.

"Well, er..."

"We've just..."

"Harry!" a familiar voice boomed from behind him grabbing hold of him in a one armed hug.

"How have you been?" another voice bellowed from somewhere a little further away. The person giving him a hug released their grip and Harry spun around to face Ron's older twin brothers, Fred and George.

"Fine," he lied, "how's your joke shop?"

"Amazing... and you would not believe the amount of stock we've sold towards our 'Rid Hogwarts of Umbridge Campaign!'" George grinned, "RHUC, for short. It's been manic!"

"I personally thought you'd think of a better name than that..." Harry replied vaguely.

"Well, we did think of the 'Ten Ways to Shove a Wand..."

"I think," a voice said loudly from behind them in a disapproving tone, "that is enough." They all turned to notice Mrs. Weasley standing behind them, hands on her hips and her wand in her apron pocket. "I'm sorry, but the Order has an important meeting tonight, you'll have to go upstairs. I'll call you once it's over so you can get ready for dinner."

With unwilling certainty they all retreated up the stairs, where, on the second floor they found Ginny with a squirming Crookshanks in her arms.

"Hello, Harry, have you had a good summer so far?" she sighed looking over her shoulder and down the hallway. "My God, you are a wimp aren't you?" she spoke definitely. "You've shared a room with them for the last five years they're not going to hurt you are they?" a muffled voice sounded from down the corridor. Something suddenly sounded in Harry's head.

_...Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas; would you say he's better? ..._

"Dean…!" Ginny spoke, an exasperated tone to her voice. She walked down the corridor; there was the sound of reluctant movement. "Shift... your... arse!" Suddenly the figure of Dean burst forward from the shadows, cuts all over and a bruise for a right eye.

"Ginny, what did you do to him?" Fred said giving his little sister a wide-eyed look.

"She didn't do anything," Dean said defending his girlfriend, "it's just, I got caught off guard... flew into a tree..." he mumbled the last word with great embarrassment, his face glowing red.

"Well, I hope we don't have to put up with behaviour like that on the Quidditch team?" Ron practically cried through the hallway, he coughed and looked at the rest. "We should go to our room Harry..."

"Always so naive, little brother..." whispered George, a wicked smile spread across his face strangely lit up by the brackets upon the wall. "These," he said pulling out a small, silver 'W' from his pocket, "will give us a clear idea about what the hell is going on in that meeting." Both he and Fred looked around the blank faces staring back at them. "Fred, explain," George sighed.

"These are a step up from the Extendable Ears, the Word Wranglers," he grinned, "they can be transfigured into any shape you like as long as you have two. You just tap them both on the back with your wand and say clearly," he pulled out his wand to demonstrate, "Wrangle the Info," he spoke the words and suddenly Dumbledore's voice sounded clearly from the palm of George's hand.

"... With his recent findings, Severus will be joining us next week for an update as he is on duty tonight. Our new recruit Selena Jamison who is working in the Department of Mysteries will also be joining us," he spoke clearly, as though he was standing just behind them.

"What area does this, Selena, work in?" an unfamiliar, female voice spoke.

"The Death Room," Dumbledore replied grimly, "which took me onto my next topic."

"But..." the voice spoke again.

"I am sorry Narcissa, if the following will upset you, please do not worry about leaving."

"No, Dumbledore, I shall stay."

"Very well... The Death Room, Selena shall be able to take the two on a visit, allow them to understand more about his death, and I do suggest that, for now no one mentions it. I do realise, over the last year I made some rash decisions which did, indeed, cause more devastation rather than preventing it, but, they... must... not... know!" he sighed heavily and then continued, "The severity of Sirius' death shall be known to us by next week, I just hope that it is not too late..." Harry stood, horror struck, staring at the small 'W' in George's hand.


	2. Chapter 2 'What it’s like to be me'

**Chapter Two**

**What it's like to be me**

_No you don't know what it's like  
When nothing feels all right  
You don't know what it's like  
To be like me_

To be hurt  
To feel lost  
To be left out in the dark  
To be kicked when you're down  
To feel like you've been pushed around  
To be on the edge of breaking down  
And no one's there to save you  
No you don't know what it's like  
Welcome to my life

_  
_- Simple Plan, Welcome to my life

After hearing Dumbledore's word, Harry had stormed off, not towards his bedroom he would share with Ron, but downstairs towards the kitchen. He was angry, why was Dumbledore talking about Sirius' death for like it he'd only been taken captive? Sirius was dead, Harry knew that, he'd had to realise that before he could even think about living without his godfather, and what was Narcissa Malfoy doing at Grimmauld Place? Hadn't it been her that had set Sirius up in the first place?

Behind him the yells of his friends attempting to restrain him were ringing in his ears, but he did not care. He needed to talk to Dumbledore… He had to ask what was going on… was Sirius still alive…?

"Harry!" a familiar voice yelled out to him from somewhere bellow. Their hair was long and dark, streaks of bright pink flowing from under heavy layers. "How have you been?" They asked.

"Tonks?" he asked looking at the familiar face. "I – I'm fine…" he stuttered surveying the woman in front of him with great enthusiasm.

"Yes, I've just got back from St. Mungo's. Stupid Lestrange woman, can't even aim a curse right!" she tutted loudly and then waved to the stairs behind Harry. "How have you lot been?" she asked as he heard numerous amounts of pairs of feet on the steps behind him.

The group behind him muttered their replies at different paces. "Well, what are you all doing down here? Molly will do her nut if she finds out that you've tried listening in!" They all exchanged glances at each other as the door to the kitchen opened and Mrs. Weasley came storming out looking daggers at Fred and George.

"What the _hell,_ do you think you are DOING!" she bellowed, her eyes popping strangely out of her head. "I trusted you enough to come to the meeting but instead you spy on us and let the children hear as well! Hand them over, NOW!" She held her hand out to receive the other half of the Word Wrangler; it obviously wasn't as one-way as the twins had hoped.

"Look mum, we just thought they ought to know…" Fred said.

"He was Harry's Godfather mum, he really should…" George continued.

"And it's not like they heard much…"

"Harry heard something about Sirius' death and decided that he'd transfigure himself in to a tea pot and waltz right in to the meeting inconspicuously and hear what Dumbledore has to say for himself…"

"I DON'T CARE! THEY ARE STILL CHILDREN YOU TWO AND AS LONG AS THEY ARE THEY WILL NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE ORDER!" Mrs. Weasley continued to yell; suddenly they were deafened as Mrs. Black's portrait added to her screams and awoke all the other paintings around her.

Once Mrs. Black's curtains had been drawn again and the other portraits stunned, Mrs. Weasley continued to yell at her sons.

Harry coughed. "Mrs. Weasley, as much as I like the fact that you care about us and all, we are not children." he sounded calm but as Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to argue, he cut across her. "Look, I've face Voldemort more times than anyone else in the God damn place, I chased him to the Philosopher's Stone, I had to fight him to keep your daughter alive in the Chamber of Secrets, I had to watch him murder Cedric and use _my_ blood to come back, and I had to watch his most stupid fucking loyal Death Eater _murder_ the only person close enough to a parent because low and behold… HE KILLED MINE!" By the time he had finished he was screaming in her face, tears falling down his cheeks that had turned pink from anger. "So don't you dare call me a fucking child! You don't know what it is like to be me!" Without knowing where he was going, Harry turned on his heel and stormed off, the tears sliding down his cheeks, falling harder and more quickly.

The darkness was intoxicating; nothing seemed to penetrate the cold dungeon. "She's just down here…" the man before him stopped and dared a glance down at his left hand. "He's angry." he whispered.

"What was that My Lord?" the man behind him spoke.

"The Potter boy, he's angry, he's vulnerable, and he would be easily manipulated if he were in this state… I do believe I have a plan…"

He shuffled his feet; this would be it, the one test of where his loyalties truly lay. '_How am I going to get myself out of this one?_' he took a deep breath, sighed and turned to face the man he called master, his beetle black eyes shining through his hood. "Master, will we be continuing?"

"Yes, yes, we shall, now keep up this time… I do not wish to keep stopping." he turned on his heel and in a sweep of his black robes he became one with his equally as black backdrop.

He had walked straight into the Drawing Room, the curtains that he had help de-doxie the summer before hand were drawn and moonlight was pouring in to the room. The room had changed considerably since he'd seen it last, an ancient table had been brought in and on top of that sat dangerously high piles of equally ancient books. Behind them, casting moving shadows across the floor, a glowing light flickered and, beyond the light, he could make out a small amount of the Black family tree.

He screamed in frustration, why had he got so angry with Mrs. Weasley? What the hell had she ever done but love him as her own? But he knew he was truly angry with Dumbledore, why had he not said something to him earlier? What the hell was Narcissa Malfoy doing in the Order…?

"Potter, I'm sorry to ruin your frustrated angsty-teenager moment, but I was trying to read before you started bleating on about the Dark Lord downstairs." The horribly familiar drawl echoed inside his head. His anger couldn't help but escalate.

"Malfoy, what the fuck do you think you are doing here?" he asked as he spun around, his green eyes shooting an evil glare of hatred.

It seemed for a moment that the boy before him would lunge at him, threatening to kill him, or at least throw a well plaice hex, but suddenly the ice in his eyes seemed to melt slightly as he erupted into fits of laughter. "You, have no, idea, Potter!"

Harry looked back at him, his frustration subsiding slightly. Why the hell was Malfoy, _laughing_? "Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Malfoy?" Harry was shocked, not only were two of the _Malfoy's_ in the Order, but here was Draco Malfoy laughing at Harry, not in an evil or threatening way but because…

"Potter, you have no idea how strange it is to here you say 'fuck'!" he sighed, "You've completely thrown my concentration off course, thanks a bunch, the story was just getting good as well."

"What's so wrong about me saying 'fuck'?"

He put a bookmark into his page and threw the book 'The Malfoy Code of Conduct' onto the nearest tottering pile of books. "You're too innocent, you hang around with _Weasley_ for God sakes and yet here you are with me, sharing an angst ridden moment…"

Harry looked at the title of the book Draco had just put down near him. "You think your family Code of Conduct is a good story?" he asked.

"Well, no actually, but it has stories about each of our family members in the back, and I was just about to get to the good bit…" he mused, shooting Harry a look of disgust.

"Would that have been your birth?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Of course," Draco said bluntly truthful.

"You're not serious?" Harry said rudely.

"Yes, what's so bad about that?" Draco sounded hurt, yet it was obvious, the way the light shone behind his frozen eyes that he didn't even have the slightest intention of being offended. "What is it Potter?"

Harry was staring open mouthed at Draco. "It's nothing…" Draco began to open his mouth but Harry cut across him, "Well, actually, it's just, I knew you were vain and all but… well, that's just taking it too far…"

Draco's mouth fell open slightly, sure he'd been called vain before, but Potter was standing in front of him telling him he was _worse_ than vain. He gazed at Harry for a couple of minutes, taking in the way his dark hair fell so naturally un-neat that it was actually appealing, how his right hand had his wand resting gently in his grasp, how his shining green eyes were boring into his own grey ones… oh shit…

"Malfoy, were you just perving at me?" Harry's voice sounded uncomfortably through the long silence.

"No," Draco said frankly. Again an uncomfortable silence followed, Harry watched Draco pull a comfortable leather clad swivel chair around the other side of the antique desk so he was still facing Harry. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here?"

Harry opened his mouth to tell Malfoy that he'd rather eat his own foot than to ask a Malfoy for information, but curiosity overcame his loathing and he drew a hard wooden chair over from by a cupboard that's shelves were once piled high with dark materials of all shapes and sizes. "Well?" Harry asked after ten minutes of silence. "Are you going to tell me or not?"

"Patients Potter…" His drawl was back in place as he pulled his wand out of his left boot. He waved it in directing of the table and it flew through the air until the tapestry of the Black family came into clear view. "I don't know whether or not you knew Potter, but your godfather was my mother's cousin."

"Yes, but what has that got to do with this? Your mother shopped Sirius to the Death Eaters, and now Sirius is d…"

"Jeez Potter, you do whine a lot don't you? I already heard you _tell_ Mrs. Weasley that." Harry fell silent at Draco's words. "Look, my father was taken to Azkaban, he's a disgrace to the family name, and it's in my book over there," he waved in the direction to his family Code of Conduct and continued, "that if any Malfoy brings disgrace upon the Malfoy name then said member must be outlawed until such debt to the Malfoy family is repaid. Basically, that means that my father is indebted to myself _and_ my mother.

"My mother has been under the Imperious Curse for the past year, my mother doesn't like being in league with the Dark Lord, she said that He was the reason that the Malfoy and Black name's have been dragged through the mud, but my father had different plans for his only son and his wife. So while I was a good boy and got on with practicing the Dark Arts, my mother began to rebel… I tried to stop him from hurting her, really I did, but my father is the biggest wanker I have ever met, even bigger than Weasley if that truly is possible, but I caught him raping her and I held my wand to him until he stopped and promised to use a more humane force against my mother." He took in a deep breath.

"Malfoy, not to being ruining your story, but why would your father be frightened of a fifteen year old boy?"

"I was fourteen and the only two reasons why my father feared me was firstly because he had taught me the Dark Arts himself, commending me on my quick progress to the same level as many fully grown Death Eaters and, well, he had his back to me… did you not hear me say that he was raping my mum?"

The silence echoed Draco's words, causing Harry to feel ill. He had only met Narcissa Malfoy the once and he suddenly felt angry with himself that he would judge her because of her last name. He opened his mouth and was surprised to find he could not speak.

"It was a rhetorical question, Potter." Draco rasped his voice horse from dryness.

The kitchen was silent apart from Mrs. Weasley's sobs. "I shouldn't have… but I didn't… I can't believe… I feel so bad…"

"Molly, it wasn't your fault, Harry seemed a little tense, so maybe he's just on a bit of a short fuse at the moment, and you can't really blame him for that, Sirius died, he's going to feel lost, he's going to want answers…" Tonks had a comforting arm around the crying woman, though it was obvious, that while some of her words were helping, others were doing more harm than good.

"Mum, don't listen to Harry; he's being a prick…" Ron stated.

"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "You can't say that!"

"What!" He asked. "She's my mum Hermione, he can't go around saying things like that to her and he was bang out of order…"

She made a soft hushing noise, "Harry's your friend Ron, its obvious that he's this way because we haven't been there for him enough, he's losing it because he lost Sirius, it' the only way I think he knows how to cope…" There were footsteps on the stairs behind the door and as it swung open, Draco Malfoy walked into the kitchen, his eyes capturing the mood of the room instantly and he turned around and beckoned to the shadows.

"You can't stay out there forever you know…" he whispered. He began to walk into the room, gave his mother a kiss on the cheek and pulled a chair over to sit next to her.

Harry walked into the room, his face covered in angry blotches of red which strangely seemed to compromise with the green of his eyes. Ron had given Draco a look of disgust which seemed to have doubled into pure revulsion after realising his best friend had been taking advice from him. He began to open his mouth to scream at him but Hermione whispered something in his ear and he closed it once more.

He moved his head to face to room and looked around the faces in the room, some sympathetic, while others down right livid. "Mrs. Weasley… I…" But what Harry was about to say to her was cut off as a loud crash was heard from somewhere above them, Mrs. Black's yells joining the corruption a few moments later.

The dungeons were dark, cold and smelled damp. They had been walking for a good hour. They were alone and with only a small stump of candle left, he wondered if it would last for the remainder of the journey, let alone that of the return.

"My Pretty, where are you?" The man leading him hissed through the darkness. "Come out my dearest…"

"You called master?" she asked, appearing from the shadows to their left, dropping to her knees as she saw his face.

"Do not worry about my Death Eater policies, many of them do not apply to you…"

She slowly got to her feet, brushing the dirt from her pale skin. She was beautiful, her long hair glowing brightly in the dim candle light and her eyes dancing with the illumination. Her figure was casting oddly grotesque shadows over the walls and her shimmering hair was swaying in some unfelt wind.

"Dearest I would like you to meet my most loyal Death Eater; you may find you have much in common…" He waved a skeletal white, right hand out behind him vaguely. "He has stayed loyal to me since I first came to power, and when he was caught, he proclaimed to have turned spy against me, but little did they know that was one of my most cunning plans to date, for he never turned his back on me… never, and he has never truly renounced his devotion to me… not to my most trusted and loyal at least…"

"Well, I am honoured to finally meet the man that will never denounce his dedication to the Dark Lord." She held out a perfectly smooth hand.

He took it in his own and shook it lightly, thinking that if he shook it any harder her hand would break away from her wrist.

"When you start at the school my dearest, he will be teaching you… what subject was it again?" Voldemort whispered.

He turned to his master and muttered something inaudible, "Very well." The Dark Lord spoke clearly.

The loyalist Death Eater turned back to Lord Voldemort's fiancé, placed his hands on his hooded cloak and pulled it down so the light danced across his pale face. His hair was long and greasy looking; his nose rather large and his eyes were black, hiding many years of painful torment. "Severus Snape," he spoke loudly, "I will be your Potions Master…"


	3. Chapter 3 'OWLs'

**Chapter Three**

**OWLs**

The room had been plunged into pitch blackness, as dust began to fall from the rafters. Harry spun on his heal and pulled open the kitchen door, sprinting up the stone steps praying, begging that the sudden intrusion wasn't what he thought it was.

It seemed the whole house was the centre of a power cut. No light shone he was blind, he could see nothing. The faint cry of phoenix song echoed through the house, bouncing off the walls and growing louder with every passing moment.

Light erupted from no where, on the floor lay two bodies, one was resting on their frail arm, the other, quite clearly dead.

Fawkes flew through the wall in a mass of flames and screeched loudly as though angry. "Professor…?" Harry asked gently, Albus Dumbledore turned his head as he lay resting on the floor, his wand was a few feet away from him, he had, clearly been knocked off his feet during battle.

"You got the other one I take it?" he spoke looking at his bird, which cawed in reply, resting on the Headmasters shoulder. The phoenix song was dying; Harry looked at Dumbledore, confusing spreading over his face like a spider's web.

"Professor, what the f – hell happened? he asked, looking into his eyes.

"They were Death Eaters, who followed Mrs. Malfoy back here to the Order. I suppose her husband ordered them to follow her so he knew what she was up to. I had no other option, they had to die," he sighed heavily, "I've never liked killing, even last time I only killed if I really had too… I'm sorry if I frightened you."

_Sorry, what a word_, Harry thought to himself, _oh no, I never got to apologise to Mrs. Weasley._

He discarded his thoughts and his Headmaster as he ran back to the kitchen, only to see Mrs. Weasley on the floor in a heap. "You did this to her!" Ron screamed in his face, "She's treated you like a son, and that is how you fucking repay her!"

"You know Potter, hearing Weasley swear isn't actually as shocking as hearing you swear… does that make sense?" Draco said jumping to his feet, _Malfoy, jumping, and I thought him willingly be here was strange enough…_

"Malfoy what the fuck are you doing here any way! This isn't your place… why don't you go and fuck you father…" Ron screamed. Draco's eyes flashed and he shot a glance to his mute mother, tears were creeping into her eyes.

"Weasley, you can insult me as much as you like but to make my mother cry…" Draco whipped his wand out of his sleeve and pointed it between Ron's eyes. "What's it like knowing that you've just done the one thing you hate…?" Suddenly Draco's newly humorous air had been shifted aside for his older more dominating one of murderous hatred.

Harry walked towards Draco until he was standing facing him, shielding Ron from his wand. "Drop it Malfoy, I wouldn't think you'd like everyone knowing what's happened between your family, and I doubt your mum will be too impressed either." Draco's grip on his wand loosened and he turned to face his mother. She was sitting her head buried in her hands, shielding her face from view. "Hey, mum, it'll be okay; don't listen to that freak…" he whispered in his mother's ear.

"So, what happened to _your_ mum?" Harry asked calmly turning to Ron. He looked taken aback as Harry spoke to him.

"She thought that, You-Know-Who was here, coming to kill us and she… well fainted." he stammered.

"Oh," Harry said, crouching down next to Mrs. Weasley, the twins shooting him a glare of disgust. "Look, I'm sorry, I just lost it, everything I've been wanting to say, everything I've been needing to say kinda, just burst out…"

"Save it Harry, don't bother with them…" Ginny said as her shadow fell over him. "The Weasley men are, dare I say it in a room filled with them, incredibly protective, pig-headed and the most stubborn men you will ever meet… and we know Malfoy…"

Draco's head shot up at the words spoken by Ginny. "You better watch your step Weasel, I may not be able to get you here, but you'll be doing detentions all year long if I hear another comment like that from you… and the same goes for the lot of you…" He did look rather convincingly threatening, but, the whole room suddenly was filled with laughter. Draco began to glow a pale pink.

"Merlin's Beard… What happened here?" Dumbledore's voice ripped through the laughter, bringing the inhabitants back to reality. He rushed over to Mrs. Weasley's side and pointed his wand to her chest. He muttered something muffled and her eyelids flickered and shot open…

"We're all going to die… We're all going to DIE!" she shrieked, her eyes darting around the room, not settling on anything or anyone in particular.

"Calm down Molly, calm… Everything is okay." Dumbledore cooed soothingly. Her eyes fell on him and she stopped screaming.

"Dumbledore… you're here… what happened… why did…?"

"Do not worry, Molly," he tuned his head to face Mr. Weasley and continued, "Arthur take her up to bed and make sure she rests calmly… I shall explain everything once you get back…" Mr. Weasley nodded, helped Mrs. Weasley to her feet and led her from the room.

_The table was large and heavily polished, its dark wood stained with varnish. It was littered with papers here, the odd bottle of Butter Bear or glass of Fire Whisky dashed to each setting. Dumbledore was seated at the head, his chair carved to make it look at though a phoenix was bursting from flames. All who sat around the table were looking at Dumbledore intently._

"_This brings me onto our new goal. As you may well know, the Order's main goal recently has been to aid Sirius back to the side of the living after his untimely 'death' beyond the veil. It was believed that said veil had killed Sirius Black as he passed through after an attack by his cousin Bellatrix Lestrange. But this was not the case as we have now been contacted by Sirius, explaining his situation as he wanders through the Living Dead…"_

"_Dumbledore, how, if you don't mind me asking, did Black contact you?" Moody's voice growled through the kitchen._

"_I have my sources Alistor… You should know who I mean…"_

"_But how do we know we can trust her…?"_

"_Alistor, how can you question the bond that he holds to her? It is that of blood, she would not betray him like that…" Moody opened his mouth to argue but Dumbledore cut across him, "She explained though, that while he is there, he is becoming weaker with every passing day and, therefore, we must hurry…" There was a soft knock on the door._

"_Mr. Dumbledore?" The voice spoke though the silence as the door creaked open. "There is a woman here to see you, she's brought her son with her too… they said that you invited them here seeking refuge…" _

"_Yes, Percy, let her in, let her in, but could you possibly take her son upstairs to the Drawing Room? I shall take his mother to him later, settle them in together…" Percy nodded and bowed out the room, a few moments later the door opened again, and a tall woman with flowing white blonde hair entered, her eyes shining black… it was funny, Dumbledore thought to himself, how all the Blacks' eyes were, indeed true to their last name…_

"_Narcissa, please take a seat, and I will quickly recap… With his recent findings, Severus will be joining us next week for an update as he is on duty tonight. Our new recruit Selena Jamison who is working in the Department of Mysteries will also be joining us."_

Dumbledore sat musing in his seat at the head of the kitchen table; Mr. Weasley came in and shut the door behind him softly. "She's just nodded off; she'll be okay won't she?" he sounded anxious as he took his seat by the stove.

"Yes Arthur, she will be fine, I think I may have just frightened her…" He took a quick glance at Narcissa, "Do not blame yourself; you did not know Lucius had sent them."

"Yeah, well we should have guessed!" Draco yelled indignantly.

"Please, Draco, keep calm, there are a few things I suppose I need to explain." He got to his feet and surveyed them. "Now I did wish for the younger ones not to hear this information but I see my concerns were rudely discarded…" he shot a quick glance at Fred and George and continued, "however, as they do now know some of the truth there is no need to hide it from them any longer because they will start speculating and create situations ten times worse than they actually are.

"We have a source that has the ability to connect with Sirius. While he is alright at the moment, he tells us that with everyday he spends beyond the veil, he grows steadily weaker until the time, he fears; he will become what truly should lie beyond that veil." Dumbledore said, his eyes drifting from nervous face to nervous face to Draco.

"So, is this _source_ a Dream Weaver?" Draco asked calmly.

Dumbledore shook his head, "I do not think so, but she is a powerful witch and has blood bonds with Sirius therefore the connection," Draco opened his mouth to argue but Dumbledore cut across him. "Professor Snape's work, which I know most of you seem to be willing to know of, will not be disclosed past those in the Order, that is to say only those that have been initiate into the Order by myself can know. Now, Narcissa Malfoy and her son Draco, they are here to be under my protection, anyone who wishes to question my judgment please do so now or hold your tongue." He spoke definitely, shooting a glance at the Weasley brothers. No one spoke. "Very well," he spoke softly, "you technically should be receiving your OWLs tomorrow, but as they are already here I will allow you to open them now."

Hermione's face broke into an ecstatic grin, Ron's looked hopefully at his headmaster, Harry did the tiniest of double takes and Draco laughed, more to Hermione's happiness and the look on Harry's face, but still, it seemed alien to the room. Dean got to his feet, "That's great Professor." he said, quickly leaving the room.

"Erm, what's up with Thomas?" Draco said, his smile faltering. It was true; Dean's departure seemed highly unprovoked and indeed unnecessary.

Ginny clambered to her feet, "He thinks he's done really badly." She followed Dean's footsteps, taking the parchment envelope out of the Headmaster's hand with the name Mr. Dean Peter Thomas scrawled across the front.

Dumbledore passed the remaining envelopes around to their recipients, each taking the parchment in their hands and looking at them intently as though waiting to be told to open them. Hermione was the first to break, ripping open it open with ease, pulling out a sheet of parchment. Her eyes darted from side to side as she read the page and they lowered to the middle her eyes grew wide and she squealed with delight. "Oh my GOD…!" She proclaimed almost dancing through the kitchen.

"That's just too happy when it come to OWL results…" George stated looking at his brother who nodded intently, Hermione shot them a look of disgust and they fell silent.

Without being able to contain himself Harry did the same.

_Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,_

_As you know, you took your Ordinary Wizarding Levels earlier on this June. The Ministry of Magic commends your scores giving you the grades as follows:_

_Defence Against the Dark ArtsO_

_PotionsO_

_TransfigurationO_

_HerbologyO_

_AstronomyO_

_CharmsO_

_History of MagicA_

_DivinationA_

_Care of Magical CreaturesO_

_Again we commend your efforts and we hope they help you gain the courses you wish to study for your NEWT exams in two years time._

_Well Done_

_Griselda Marchbanks_

_Head of Magical Examinations and Tests, Ministry of Magic, London_

His face broke into a grin; thank fuck for that.

He looked up, his fellow fifth years all had their noses to their parchment, all that was, except Draco. "So, Malfoy, you too scared to open your results?" Harry asked.

"No, Potter I've already looked if you don't mind." He said, and Harry suddenly noticed that the top of the envelope was undone rather neatly. "If you must know what I got, here…" he passed Harry his envelope and glared and icy stare. Harry took the parchment carefully out of the envelope and noticed that everyone else was now looking at Harry, pale parchment in his hands. They crowded around him as he unfolded the parchment and stared open mouthed at the results.

_Dear Mr. Draco Lucius Abraxus Malfoy,_

_As you know, you took your Ordinary Wizarding Levels earlier on this June. The Ministry of Magic commends your scores giving you the grades as follows:_

_Defence Against the Dark ArtsO_

_PotionsO_

_TransfigurationO_

_HerbologyO_

_AstronomyO_

_CharmsO_

_History of MagicO_

_Ancient runesO_

_Care of Magical CreaturesO_

_ArithmancyO_

_Again we commend your efforts and are delighted to tell you that grades you received and another's are the highest of the year. We hope they help you gain the courses you wish to study for your NEWT exams in two years time._

_Well Done_

_Griselda Marchbanks_

_Head of Magical Examinations and Tests, Ministry of Magic, London_

Draco cleared his throat, "And, am I right Granger that, that other person would be you?" he asked, politely. She nodded and looked at Draco in shock. He quickly snatched his results out of Harry's hand and stalked out of the room, grunting a good night. His mother soon followed.

"Malfoy seems really strange," Harry said, sitting down again of his seat.

"Well, at least I'm not the only one to have spotted that." Ron said, throwing his parchment on the table.

"What did you get then?" Ron nodded towards the paper in front of Harry, indicating to him to pick it up.

_Mr. Ronald Bilius Weasley,_

_As you know, you took your Ordinary Wizarding Levels earlier on this June. The Ministry of Magic commends your scores giving you the grades as follows:_

_Defence Against the Dark ArtsO_

_PotionsA_

_TransfigurationA_

_HerbologyO_

_AstronomyA_

_CharmsO_

_History of MagicA_

_DivinationA_

_Care of Magical CreaturesO_

_Again we commend your efforts and we hope they help you gain the courses you wish to study for your NEWT exams in two years time._

_Well Done_

_Griselda Marchbanks_

_Head of Magical Examinations and Tests, Ministry of Magic, London_

"They're really crap." Ron stated.

"Mind your language young man, your mother would kill you" Mr. Weasley huffed. "Now, as much as we like to hear your results, I think you need to be getting to bed."

The nodded in agreement, the clock on the wall giving the time to be just past one in the morning, they all clambered to their feet, giving either too sleepy or too enthusiastic good-night's.

_Seven OWLs_, Harry thought to himself, _SEVEN, wow, go me! _As he climbed into his warm bed that night he smiled, even though he would be spending another two years with Snape, he was glad, he would be able to become an Auror!

His dreams slipped into the random subconscious, he was sure that it must be because his brain was attempting to process too much information …_He was in a circular room and a blonde muggle girl was attempting to find the corner… the blonde muggle girl turned into a blonde wizard boy in the form of Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy baring down on top of his son, attempting to kiss him… Dean was chained up in a cage, Ginny stood below him, a whip in one hand, her wand shooting brilliant blue flames over Dean's body in the other, she was wearing some rather suspect thigh-high leather boots and a, no he refused to even _**go **_there… Professor's McGonagall, Snape, Sprout and Flitwick were standing in the front of a classroom with four tables set down in front of them, Ron, Hermione and Malfoy were sat in three of them, he soon realised the other was meant for himself, but he was chosen to demonstrate his Auror skills and he was suddenly in a giant stone cauldron, Snape swirling a spoon through the thick purple liquid that surrounded Harry as he began to drown, he pulled up for air and he was walking down the corridor of the Department of Mysteries, he was in the circular room once more and as he strode forwards he did not enter the room of clocks or the one of space, but the tall hall with its many tiers surrounding the archway and the veil... Sirius was standing on the dais, his grin a mixture of shock and fear, Bellatrix was laughing loudly her wand glowing bright red and Harry was running, running towards Sirius, but he was falling through again and again and again he rounded on Bellatrix and pulled his wand out but she blasted him with a curse and his wand turned to ashes in his hand, again she laughed, but this time it was joined with an evil voice, shrill and snake-like mocking Harry as he ran for the veil..._

_Great, great, great, great, this is all I need_! It was just past midnight when he managed to escape his 'master' but, all the same he felt as though it were later. _How dare that man even think that I would still reside on his side… if you can even call him a man…? Damn it! Why am I so stupid?_ He sighed heavily, resting gently against the wall he had been following back to the main streets of London. _How can you have taken this mission, Dumbledore is insane to think that this wouldn't involve something so sinister… or so beautiful… You were a fool Severus, you should never have gone to him in the first place… but,_ he mused,_ did you really have much choice? Well, you should've tried harder, Voldemort won't believe your excuses forever and when you do show your true colours, you will be lucky if you escape with only death… just look at Regelus… _

"Hello Severus," a cool voice sounded in his ear making him jump. He shot around only to be met by a black hood and a strange porcelain mask, but he knew who it was, the cold French tinted accent gave it away.

"Rodolphus, how good to see you again…" His voice caught in his throat, maybe putting on the happy-to-see-you tone was slightly over-doing it.

"Why have you not been attending meetings?"

"Why?" he asked looking the Death Eater up and down. "Why, I've been attending meetings with Albus Dumbledore, or do you not remember the Dark Lord's plan?"

"Yes, I do," he paused slightly and then carried on, "I believe you've had the chance of meeting my sister?"

"Yes, yes I do believe I have, rather polite, and very pretty, there must be something in your genes…" The Death Eater's eyes shone vividly behind his mask.

"Always were a charmer weren't you?"

"Of course,"

"Always couldn't keep away from other people's property either… if I remember correctly…"

"I would hardly have called Bella…"

Suddenly the Death Eater's hands were around Severus' neck pushing him against the wall. "Don't you _ever_ call her that again; don't you even think about even talking about her, you got it?" Severus nodded his head. "I told the Dark Lord I'll have you know, I asked him to hurt you as much as you hurt me, but he wouldn't, he would never do that to you… you're a stupid suck up too, always were, always will be…" he smirked, throwing Severus to the floor. "Let me continue with my little story… so when our greatest Dark Lord refused to harm you, I took matters into my own hands, so don't go thinking that it was Voldemort who did that shit to your family… it was me… I raped your stupid whore, and your daughter too… oh you should've heard her screams Sev, 'Daddy, daddy make it stop, make it stop' oh I had fun with her, how old was she Sev, six, seven?"

Severus glared up into the masked face of the man above him, tears streaking down his face. "She was four you son of a bitch… you evil mother-fucking wanker… my daughter was only four…"


	4. Chapter 4 'A Small Price to Pay'

**Chapter Four**

**A Small Price to Pay**

Every part of his body was shaking, bring back the pain of those memories, no, how could he? It was Voldemort, it was Voldemort… No…! He was fully aware that tears were falling down his face, yet he really didn't care. His daughter, his little girl… how could he have let that happen…?

…_He was sweating; his robes were billowing out behind him as he ran inside his home. He wrenched open the front door, his wife's voice suddenly echoing through him, shattering his bones. "Severus, help me! He… he…" A shrill scream tore through the house, breaking his soul away from his flesh… He ran as fast as he could up the stairs. A loud thump sounded as something heavy hit the floor and a loud crack sounded from his bedroom. He stopped and, dreading what he would see he gingerly pushed open the door…_

_There was blood everywhere, his wife was naked and on her hands and knees, the deep red liquid pouring from her body. He rushed to her and held her tightly in his arms hushing her and telling her, as she cried hysterically that everything would be okay, yet he knew it wouldn't. Nothing would ever be okay, ever again… "He…he, got to Aurora…" Her eyes filled with tears and fell down her face as she snuggled into his chest. Her grip loosened after a minute or two that seemed to take more than a lifetime to live through. He laid her head gently down on the blood stained carpet and willed himself to get to his feet and leave her body. He walked down the hallway to the only other bedroom in the upstairs. The door was painted white with pink etched into it with the word Aurora painted on one beam. He took a deep breath and pushed open the door._

_A small body lay naked and spread-eagled on the floor, her curly black hair matted with blood, her pale skin covered with the redness and her legs smeared with white. That bastard was sick to have killed his wife, but to do **that** to his daughter…_

"I'll make you pay for what you've done to my LIFE!" he shrieked suddenly pouncing at the shadows before him. He fell against the wall opposite and landed on the floor crying, his hands grazed from the harsh blackening brick next to him. He'd let him get away, next time, he won't be so lucky…

He picked himself up to his feet and began to walk towards the glowing hum of late-night London. He pulled his cloaks hood high over his head, and not caring what passing-by muggles would think, hastened his step, willing to return to the safety of Grimmauld Place, even if it had belonged to Black.

He sat bolt upright in his bed, sweat running over his body, drenching him and chilling him to the bone. There was that nightmare again, each time he picked up on something more, each time gradually becoming worse. He looked around the room; it was black, only the slight glow of the muggle streets outside entered through the thick curtains and a soft light of candles from under the door.

He surveyed the room, his eyes deceiving him as they settled on the dark shadows and outlines depicting scenes of his dream to him. When he looked over to the portrait he was sure Bellatrix stood there watching him, but when he looked back she was not. His eyes fell upon the sleeping outline of Ron; his chest was rising and falling. All was silent, nothing dared to move.

He wasn't sure how long he was awake for when he heard soft footsteps rushing down the corridor outside. Curious as to who was awake at this hour apart from himself, he pulled the covers off his body and swung his legs around until his feet were on the floor. His legs did not like being woken and were full of fatigue as he hoisted himself to them, dragging his body towards the door, opening it silently and slipping out in to the darkness.

He heard the final stair creak as he made his way to the banister. He gripped hold of the wood, his fingers snaking around the rough surface. The soft glowing of a candle light was shining very slightly in the hallway bellow. Lupin's face came into his sight; in one pale and clammy hand he was holing a candle which now brought a hooded figure into view. From beneath the hood, a hushed grumble reached Harry's ears, they sounded choked, as though they'd been crying.

He heard Lupin's voice soften and lead the cloaked figure towards the kitchen door. _Damn,_ Harry though to himself, _if only I could get the other half of the Word Wrangler off of Fred and George…_

His mind slipped into a dark room. He was standing facing the dying embers of a fire, the wood glowing a paling red, the heat not daring to warm his flesh, cowering away from him. "You are sure…" he whispered, still gazing into the fire.

"Yes Master, of course Master, why would I lie to you Master?" the pitiful sobs of a man who had lived his whole life in someone else's shadow, came from somewhere behind him.

"I wouldn't know, but you have already proven yourself distrustful Peter… the Potter's, now that was you at your most deceitful."

"I'll prove it to you Master, I promise Master… please just don't…"

But he had cut him off; he had swung around and was pointing his wand directly at the tiny, bowing man before him, "CRUCIO!"

"Harry… HARRY!" The voice sounded urgent, panicky, what the hell was going on? "It's no use… something is really wrong with him…"

"Remus, you called?" Dumbledore was pacing up the stairs onto the first landing of Grimmauld Place.

"It's the Potter boy Dumbledore," Snape's voice sounded in the Headmaster's ears, "he began to shout from above us, something about Peter, and his betrayal to the Potter family."

"Very well, Severus, did he say or do anything else?" Dumbledore was now crouching down over Harry, feeling his clammy forehead and checking the pulse in his neck. "This is not good, the second time in one day…"

"Albus, he, he, used the Cruciatus Curse…" Lupin spoke quietly, Dumbledore's head shot up and his blue eyes shone with reckless anger.

"On who?"

Beads of sweat were pouring down Lupin's forehead. "Me." He too a deep breath and sighed, "He was angry Albus, he was really angry, he didn't even have his wand and he meant it. It wasn't powerful, he was asleep, but if he'd been awake, Albus, I've never seen Harry like that. He, he looked like… he was acting like…"

"Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked curiously, the anger had now subsided and he had slipped his hands under Harry's neck and knees, lifting the limp body off of the ground. Lupin nodded at Dumbledore's words. "Very well."

In a sweep of robes that indicated to both wizards before him to follow, he had entered Harry's room and placed him back down on his bed. "Severus, I need you to go and find Nympadora Tonks for me, I have an errand for her. Remus, I would like it if you watched over Harry and let me know if he worsens or not."

"Yes Albus," his eyes had filled with shocked tears as he drew a chair out of thin air and sat down at the side of Harry's bed.

For a while all was silent and Remus stared at the son of his best friend and was shocked to realise how like his father he actually was. His nose was a little less prominent than James' but that didn't stop him form being the mirror image of him. The same hair, the same height, the same facial expressions were James'… and Jenny's, yes Jenny… _Why, why did she have to die like that? Alone, in pain, without anyone to help her …_ he sighed heavily, a painful memory engulfing him.

"It's been a long time since you've thought about her, hasn't it?" Dumbledore's voice echoed unpleasantly through his head. He nodded his reply. "Quite coincidental really, with everything happening." Again he nodded. "You'll have fun this year Remus, and I'm sure the students will be pleased to see you again."

The door opened and Snape walked in, Tonks following him. "You called Albus?" she asked, her hair was in desperate need of brushing and her skin was pale from lack of sleep.

"Yes Nymphadora, I want you to take this note to the residency of one Rachel Stewart and her family, when there you will give this to, well, you should recognise the young lady after last year…"

Tonks' face broke into a smile, "Is she going to Hogwarts?" Dumbledore nodded and Tonks' face fell looking directly at the prone body lying on the bed. "Is that a good idea, if You-Know-Who found out…?"

"Right now, I believe if they are kept apart much longer they will find themselves worse off than if they were closer." Tonks nodded and took the parchment envelope out of Dumbledore's outstretched hand, the Hogwarts emblem stamped in the top right-hand corner, the name _Miss Danielle Parker, 18 Raven's Close, London_, written straight through the middle. "This must be delivered to Danielle and Danielle only, if not, this may just be escalated out of hand and Voldemort may just get what he wants."

Tonks nodded, spun on her heal and sailed straight out through the door, not giving the room a second glance. "Severus, I will meet you in my office on the third floor in five minutes to discuss what has happened." Snape bowed and stalked out of the room, slowly shutting the door behind him.

He turned to the mute figure of Remus, his eyes had begun to water and salty tears were already falling down his face. "Now, I am going to put Harry into a sleep, keep him calm, but if anyone should attempt to intrude on young Mr. Potter's brain their presence will be made apparent to you." Lupin looked up at Dumbledore and gave him a quizzical look. "Instead of taking their normal course of events inside of Harry, they will be projected into the room so that you can see. If this does happen, you will need to fetch me in the usual way. I do believe it would be wise to move Ron, but at the moment, we shall let him sleep. You will be alright won't you Remus?"

"Yes," he whispered hoarsely, not daring to take his eyes off of Harry's unmoving body. Dumbledore waved his wand lightly in Harry's direction whispering something under his breath. A pale purple light encased Harry. He nodded in recognition towards Remus and left the room, shutting the door as he went.

The night air was cool, considering the blazing heat of that afternoon. The night sky was black and there was a white post on the curb, the name 'Raven's Close' in black letters pealing away from the contrasting white. She walked down the pavement that lay parallel to the black tarmac road. She watched the houses pass, watching for number 18. Soon the cold, coal coloured iron gate that led there came into her view. She took it off the latch and headed towards the ominous looking jet black door, only visible because of the silver letter box and knocker in its centre.

It was ironic really, how everything around her was black.

She took the knocker in her hand and tapped it twice. Nothing. Again she rapped against it impatiently. Still nothing. On her third time a pale faced woman opened the door looking livid, but once her eyes had settled on Tonks' face, her expression softened. "Come in, Nymphadora, come in… it's been a long time!" She threw the door wide open and allowed the young Auror into the house. "I suppose you're here to see Danielle?"

The sun bled through the old, dusty curtains. He did not stir as the light fell upon his pale face but the boy a few metres away flinched in the brightness. It became apparent that this was the first time the sun had shone all summer…

He turned over, attempting to shade his face from the yellow glare that had bathed his eyes and as they opened he saw the body of Harry lying on top of his covers, a hunched figure with their head resting on the mattress sat next to him. "Erm, Lupin?"

The head shot up, looking frantically around the room, praying something hadn't happened to Harry. His silvery moon-like eyes bored into Ron's own and he felt himself sigh with relief, Harry's body lay still and unmoved next to him. "Yes Ron."

"What's happened? Is Harry okay?" Ron's voice was stained with panic, with intrigue; he needed to know yet was unsure if he was willing to know the answer. Lupin nodded his silent reply to Ron.

"Do not worry, Harry will be fine, he's just," he didn't know how to explain what had happened to Harry without spending half and hour on details, "vulnerable, that's all."

Ron's eyes widened as he noticed the skin around Lupin's neck was tinged red as though scalded. "What happened to your neck then?"

His hand trailed to the burning skin. No, Harry hadn't hurt him with that spell last night, but he sure as hell had marked him… "It's… complicated, I don't know how much I am tell you…"

"You two, wake up, Snape is here, he's…" Hermione had bounded in the room, her eyes fell on Lupin and she stopped, "what on earth is going on?"

The black night had subsided into the bright morning, Rachel had not wanted to wake the two girls so early so the two had sat and talked, catching up on their pasts. At nine o'clock giggles where heard upstairs and it became apparent that the trouble makers were well and truly awake.

"They never learn they were out until past eleven last night… probably getting pissed again. Honestly, no matter how hard I try Tonks they just don't learn… and their friends from school, Merlin give me strength!" she sighed heavily and continued. "Don't get me wrong, they are all lovely young witches and wizards but, I think they're a bad influence on them."

Tonks grinned, her hair a dusty blonde, the sunlight catching in its stands and shooting sunshine across the kitchen. "You don't think your being a tad naive by any chance?" Rachel shook her head in a confused way and again Tonks grinned, "Do you not think that it could be Danielle and Laura that are the bad influences?"

A look of shock spread across her face. "How can you say such a thing Nympadora?"

Tonks winced at being called her first name as the kitchen door swung open revealing two pretty teenage girls. The one in front had white blonde hair that swung by her shoulders, showing dark black underneath the blonde, contrasting quite remarkably. Her eyes were a stunning green, very unlike Harry's Tonks noted, yet they showed depth and understanding even if the dark black flecks in them did reflect her sadistic nature. She had a fluffy green and black dressing gown on and cute white seal slippers. Behind her, yawning quite uncharacteristically was a girl wrapped in a highly fluffy white dressing gown with a single deep red feather embodied onto the collar. Her hair was settled in waves around her face, framing it with its deep brown. As she opened her eyes, deep blue, almost black irises graced the world with their presence, her curled eyelashes outlining their beauty. In her left hand was a mug with the West Ham United crest painted on to a claret background – true loyalty – and on her feet, fuzzy penguins looked up at the world with cute grumpy faces.

"Tonks," the girl with the penguin slippers exclaimed, slinging her arms around the witch's neck, "how have you been? I'm sorry I didn't come to see you in St. Mungo's, I was busy with my homework." They broke away from one another.

"Don't worry Danielle, I'm not about to stress at you, I can't blame you, with all that happened last year." The happy face before her faded and suddenly those beautiful eyes filled with month of tormented pain, but she bit it back, taking one huge breath and regaining her composure.

"Look, I'm cool with it… it's not as though we – we – were – c-c-cl…" she couldn't bring herself to say the final words. For months now, no matter how hard she tried she was graced with his pleading face every time she closed her eyes and entered the subconscious. Even if she had drunk even the most powerful prescription potions brewed by the most able Healer's at St. Mungo's, did she see him, calling out to her, begging her for her help, she was the only one after all, she was the only living soul who could possibly save him, she knew that, Dumbledore knew that, fuck even her stupidly cute fluffy slippers knew that… but knowing that didn't make it any easier, only harder because if something was to happen to him, which she knew one day it would, she would be its reason, even if he did get back to this side, he would protect her with his life, she was everything to him… and death was a small price compared to the world… his world… her…


	5. Chapter 5 'Left'

**Chapter Five**

**Left**

Hermione was running her fingers through her hair, making it stick up in random places. "So, you're telling me Harry has been connected to You-Know-Who twice in one day _and_ he hit you with an Unforgivable whilst in his sleep, _without_ a wand?"

"Well, that's what the guy said Hermione." Ron said in an exuberated voice. Hermione shot him a look of disgust but decided against following it up with anything else. "So, Dumbledore's put some sort of charm on Harry so no one can get into his head?"

"Something like that," Lupin said shortly. Ron nodded and Hermione took a deep breath, giving Harry a lingering, deeply worried look. She placed a hand on Harry's own, and recoiled instantly. Lupin looked at her, "What's wrong?"

"He – he's freezing cold. His skin feels like ice," she stammered, looking at Lupin with big, worried eyes.

"But, he's acting like he's burning up," Ron exclaimed thickly.

"Don't worry, keep an eye on him while I go and get Dumbledore okay?" he stood up and strode out of the room. Ron looked at Hermione and, with a nod stood up and walked around the bed until he was standing behind her. He lent down and circled his arms around her and rested his head on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it too much, 'kay?" he asked gently grazing her left cheek with his lips. She nodded as tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

"You, don't think it could be anything to do with, well… Sirius, do you?" she murmured in his ear.

"Honestly? I don't know," he took a deep breath as he charmed his chair so it was next to Hermione's and sat down in it taking her hand in his own. "Do you think he's, well, erm, found out about that girl that was staying here last summer before he showed up?"

"For once Ron, I actually don't know anything…" His eyes grew wide yet he did not do or say anything to Hermione's statement. They sat in silence for a good five minutes, not making a sound, Hermione clinging desperately onto the hands of the two boys in the room. The door clicked slightly as it began to open, Ron and Hermione dropped each others hands instantly.

Dumbledore walked in with Lupin and Snape at his heals. "Remus told me that Harry is now experiencing fever?" They both nodded and, as Lupin gave them a lasting glance and what looked like a tiny smile, Dumbledore walked over to Harry's side and placed his frail hand on his forehead.

"Yes, Remus, it is as you expected, Magically Inflicted Fever."

"Perhaps, Albus, I may be of some use to the boy?" Snape's cold voice said, travelling nastily around the room. "I have a draught in my bag, in case I should need it on my missions."

"Naturally you would Severus. Would you, kindly fetch it for me?" Snape bowed at the headmaster and slid out of the room, lightly closing the door behind him.

She made to run from the room, but a hand fell on her shoulder and once she was sure she was unable to shrug them off, she stopped in her tracks, took a deep breath and turned back around, giving the room and its few inhabitants a falsely happy smile.

"Dannie – are – you – 'kay?" Laura spoke hoarsely through a stifled yawn.

The fake smile dropped slightly but she nodded and whispered half-heartedly, "Yeah, I'm fine…" she turned to face the witch with their hand on her shoulder and continued, "So, Tonks, what brings you here? I thought you were at the Or…"

"Business… Dumbledore-style business," she said pulling a crumpled, parchment envelope out of her robe pocket and thrusting it into Danielle's unaware hands. "Here, this is for you."

She gave the piece of parchment a furtive glance that lingered on the Hogwarts emblem and slid her thumb under the seal, breaking it instantly and silently praying that the letter wasn't what she thought it was.

_Dear Danielle,_

_I know this will not please you, yet I feel that, in recent events, it has become too dangerous for you to stay out of my sights for much longer. _

_Instead of travelling to Flaxtran's on the 10:30 am train from Platform 4 and 1/3 on September 1st, you will be leaving, on the same day, for Hogwarts, on Platform 9 and ¾ at 11am. I hate to tear you away from your friends but as your legal Guardian, I feel your safety does come first and that these precautions are now necessary._

_You will be Sorted at the start of term to determine your House for your 6th and, in the likely events of Voldemort's continuing threat, then I feel that your 7th year should reside here too._

_I have informed Flaxtran's of the change and have gained the knowledge of your classes and the books you will need (there is a books list enclosed). _

_As I said, I hate to do this, but I do not wish for you to be hurt and I know, if your parents were alive, you would already be attending Hogwarts anyway._

_I will be looking forward to seeing you next month._

_Much love,_

_Albus_

_x x_

The creamy parchment shook in her hands before her eyes filled with tears and the letter fluttered to the floor.

Laura looked from Danielle, to Tonks and then down to the parchment. She shot a strained and slightly confused look to Rachel before crouching down and picking up the note. Her eyes skimmed over the words quickly and then looked at her emotional friend. "You're on first-name terms with Albus Dumbledore?" She said insensitively. Danielle only cried harder.

Rachel pushed past Tonks and Laura and wrapped her arms around Danielle, whispering into her hair and telling her, in a soothing fashion that things would turn out alright. But instead of having the desired effect, Danielle suddenly pushed her away. "How do you know what's in the note?" she said. Rachel looked away and Tonks rolled her eyes. "How did you know and not tell me!" She said, beginning to scream in an odd way.

"Danielle…"

"Don't Danielle me…!" She screeched. Tonks looked at the girl dreamily, realising where she'd heard that tone before… _she is so like her father it was uncanny_… "How the fuck could you? My dad has died… I need to be with my friends and here you all are, carting me off to Albus Dumbledore's Loony Asylum…" Tonks grinned, _where have I heard that before_? "And don't you go and grin at me like I'm a total moron you stuck up bitch…" _Such a foul mouth, just like_… "Would you stop it… _please_?" Danielle said tears teaming down her cheeks. "It's not funny, you try having regained and loosing the only family member you've ever had in the space of a year and see how you like it." She managed through her tears as Tonks grabbed hold of her and refused to let go.

"Please Dannie, please, you look so much like your mother and yet you act so much like your dad… that is meant as a compliment by the way." Danielle's wet face grew into a grin.

"Okay, could someone please explain why suddenly Albus Dumbledore's her – what, _dad_?" Laura asked thickly opening a cupboard door and pulling down a few mugs.

"He always has been, he's paid for her education up until now, and he's her godfather, not her dad. Danielle's dad died in July, as you would've probably already been told." Rachel began. "I guess, now that You-Know-Who's return is now common knowledge, Dumbledore just feels it would be better that Danielle be with him."

"Rightyo then, just your usually, most-powerful-sorcerer-on-planet-as-an-Uncle thing…?" She asked looking around the room as she bent down and pulled out a box of PG Tips, "Anyone for tea?"

"Professor, if you don't mind me asking, who was the letter to?" Ron asked, looking away from his best friend to look in to the powerful face of Dumbledore.

"Do you remember, Mr Weasley, a young lady who stayed with Sirius a lot last summer?" he questioned. Ron nodded eagerly. "Well, the letter was to her. She is my goddaughter, I do not wish for her to be away from my protection for too long."

"Danielle was your goddaughter?" Hermione asked, her gaze shooting away from Harry to look boldly in to Dumbledore's eyes.

"Yes," he said simply.

The room fell silent, Hermione went back to looking at Harry worriedly and Ron went back to holding his head in his hands. The door slowly opened to reveal Snape in his long black cloak and with a stone flask gripped loosely in his left hand, his right gripping around something in his pocket.

"Here you go Professor," he said, holding the flask out towards Dumbledore, "the Draught for the Reversal of Magically Inflicted Fever." Dumbledore took the potion and walked over to where Harry's body laid limp, gripped hold of Harry's head and lifted it until his mouth fell open. He poured a smoking orange liquid down Harry's throat and then, once he was sure Harry had swallowed it, he placed his head down gently on the pillow.

"He should be alright in about an hour, but I can't stress enough that if anything goes wrong, you call for someone immediately, do you understand?" Ron and Hermione nodded to their headmaster and allowed him, Snape and Lupin to leave.

Hermione gripped hold of Ron's hand and leant into his shoulder, "You do think he'll be okay don't you?" she asked, resting her head on his shoulder.

He brought his hand up and stroked her hair. "Yeah," and, seeing the look of utmost annoyance on her face, decided he had to go on. "Come on, this is Harry we're talking about! He's been through a lot more than Magical Fever Infliction or whatever it is! He's battled Voldemort three times, he had to watch his godfather die beyond a veil of whatever and he battled that stupidly big snake! Harry will be perfectly fine, just you wait and see."

She smiled a little, "You said his name."

"Huh?" Ron asked raising an eyebrow towards Hermione. "I've always said Harry's name."

"Not Harry you dolt," she said, hitting his head lightly, "Voldemort, you said Voldemort's name."

"Oh," said Ron, a look of terror spreading over his face, until he clapped his hand to his mouth. Hermione giggled slightly, "shit!"

"Ron, Hermione!" A voice screamed as the door was thrown open and Ginny came bounding in to the room, Dean at her heels. They dropped their hands almost instantly, but Dean, who'd been staring at the two had noticed, he made to grin uncontrollably at them, but Hermione shot him a look that could kill, and on her further inspection, she would realise that Ron, had done the same. Blissfully unaware Ginny began to speak in an apprehensive and hushed voice. "The Dementors, they've suddenly upped and left Azkaban, I bet you they've gone to join You-Know-Who!"

Hermione's hand shot to her mouth and Ron's just fell open, "well, that can't be too good," a voice spoke, making Hermione to give a little shriek and Ginny and Dean to jump out of their skins.

She walked up the stairs and pushed open the bedroom door. It was a tip, everything was everywhere. School books lay haphazardly here and there along with broken quills and half used bottles of ink. Parchment littered the table, some with homework, and others with random scribbles and doodles. Inside two beds were placed into the rather spacious, yet cluttered room, one with a quilt of black and green, that matched one half of the room, the other had a phoenix bursting from the ashes, its red and gold mimicking the other half of the room.

She stumbled over the spell books and clothes that were littering the floor until she was sitting down on the phoenix bed. The door opened again and Laura entered. "It's a bummer, ain't it?" she said making her way slowly towards her own half of the bedroom.

"Hm," Danielle replied as though she didn't care about the question.

"Look, so, it feels like shit that ya ain't goin' Flaxes this year, so what? I'm sure you'll get ova it won't ya?"

"It ain't that," Laura raised an eyebrow until Danielle continued; "It's Harry ain't it?"

"Yeah, whatever mate," Laura said, throwing one of her numerous pillows towards Danielle's open arms.

"You don't get it," Danielle said, making Laura fully aware what she was about to do.

"Okay then, just go an' underestimate your best mate, yeah man, like I don't get it! Who's the only one you've told everything to, huh? Who's the one that's told you everything back in return, huh? Who even took you along to somewhere you were _definitely_ not meant to go? Who could get killed because of that?"

"Look, I know I've told you it all but –"

"Don't you fucking shit me okay? I've had to put up with your whining for the past – what? – ten years of our lives? Who the hell knows you the best?"

"You," Danielle whispered

"Yes… me! And that is why you have to trust me. Look, if anything bad happens, anything at all tell me and I will help you. But if Dumbledore wants you to go, you will have to go…"

She nodded bleakly and stared at the wooden floor boards, "Yeah, that's what I'm afraid of."

Laura giggled, "You already know some of them though, don't you?"

"Well, yeah," she looked up at Laura, "I met some of them last summer, but what I don't understand is that everyone made such a big fuss last year that I was to come here before Harry arrived, but now, they are forcing me to, well live under the same roof as him for a whole year! I don't know _what_ Albus is playing at."

"You know, it is just way too weird that you call him _Albus_!"

Draco was standing in the doorway, apparently it had been left open as Ginny and Dean had entered. "Nice happy family reunion I suppose," he muttered under his breath.

"Oh, you're still here?" Ginny breathed shooting Draco a look of disgust.

"Nice to know there's no animosity between the five of us," he said, his permanent smirk back in place.

Ginny snorted, "There's six."

His eyes slowly trailed around the room, looking first to Ron and Hermione who seemed to be glued together discreetly at the hand (_jeez, that's disgusting_), Harry laying on the bed asleep (_well, Potter does have a remarkable talent at falling asleep at the best of times_) and Ginny (_well, from all the Weasley's that I've met and dear LORD that's a lot, she is definitely the prettiest_), his gaze deliberately missing Dean very elaborately.

"Nope," he said calmly, "I haven't missed anyone."

"You're filth Malfoy, want some more bat boogies?" Ginny asked swiftly, taking her wand out of her pocket and pointing her wand tip between his eyes. If she didn't know any better she would've said she'd seen him gulp.

"Put you're wand away Weasley, there's no need to hex me because you think it'll stop you liking me –"

"Quadrifariam circino!" Dean cried his cut and bruised face radiating anger. Suddenly four circles that were of blue, red, green and yellow in colour, were surrounding Draco, trapping him and encircling him and sending what looked like waves of Dean's fury through him. A scream burst from Draco's lips, yet he did not move.

"Dean, NO!" Hermione was screaming, looking at the curse that had issued from Dean's wand and then surveying the damage it was doing to Draco. "I don't care if he is the biggest git in the world, he's part of the Order, _you_ are part of the Order, what part of, 'don't use dark magic' do you not understand!" she was shrieking loudly until she pulled out her own wand, pointed it at Draco and yelled the counter curse.

She rounded on a shaking Dean instantly, "What the hell do you think you were _doing_?" she bellowed, sounding rather like Mrs. Weasley. "The Dark Arts in the middle of the Order of the Phoenix… _on another member_! Well Dean, I am waiting!" She had shot up in an instant and, along with her shrieking, soon every member of the Order were crammed into Ron and Harry's suddenly too small bedroom.

"What is going on here Granger? Why were you screaming?" Snape's cool voice spoke as he entered the room in a billow of long, black robes. His eyes fell on Draco and in an instant his eyes were wide and shining uncontrollably with what looked like tears. His eyes shot straight to where Harry lay. "He did it, didn't he?"

"No, Sir, I did it myself…" Draco gasped. Hermione's eyes too grew wide and Ron's mouth fell even further open.

"What's this?"

"I – I was showing off Sir and the curse backfired on me," Draco told the Potions Master, grasping his stomach.

"But –"

Narcissa Malfoy strode in to the room, her long, pale green, silk robe flowing behind her like rippling waves and she kneeled down next to Draco, a look of deepest loathing boring in to her sons face. She slapped him full pelt across his cheek, causing a pink hand shaped mark to appear. "You disgust me!"

"Mum…"

"Don't you dare, I thought you'd be too much like him but I had convinced myself that you were different, that you were more of a Black, but I guess that I was wrong." She was spitting venom. Suddenly, she got to her feet and with pearly tears streaming down her face; she stormed out of the room, turning her back on her only son.


	6. Chapter 6 'Forgotten Unforgivables'

**Chapter Six**

**Forgotten Unforgivables**

_So deep that it didn't even bleed and catch me  
Off guard, red handed  
Now I'm far from lonely  
Asleep I still see you lying next to me  
So deep that it didn't even bleed and catch me I.._

I need something else  
Would someone please just give me  
Hit me, knock me out  
And let me go back to sleep  
I can laugh  
All I want inside I still am empty  
So deep that it didn't even bleed and catch me I...

I'll be just fine  
Pretending I'm not  
I'm far from lonely  
and it's all that I've got  


-The Used, All That I've Got

He lay still for a little while, clutching his stomach tighter and attempting to restrain the tears from falling that were now forming rapidly in his eyes. He wished that they'd turn away, not star at him like he was some sort of animal on display at the zoo, yet they wouldn't. Draco Malfoy, the dickhead that had made their lives hell was now sticking up for them and taking the blame, _great job you moron!_

The room was emptying around him, following in his mothers footsteps and leaving behind the scum child of Lucius Malfoy. He wanted her here with him, no; he _needed_ her here with him. Only they knew what Lucius was truly like, what he'd do if he was given the right support and the right power to back him up.

"D-Draco, are you –?" A familiar voice trailed around inside his head.

Before he'd realised what was happening he'd told them to fuck off. He gripped hold of his stomach tighter, in full realisation that his tears were now falling down his face. A head of bushy hair and pale skin burst into his vision and suddenly he realised that the pain had gone.

"Granger, I thought I told you to –"

"Look Malfoy, I am not exactly your ideal friend, but I think I just saved your life, the least you could do is show some courtesy to us!"

He looked up into her face, "I told you to fuck off you filthy Mudblood!"

Her eyes widened and suddenly filled with tears of pure rage. "Look, you can call me that as much as you like, it doesn't hurt me anymore!" she slapped him across the face where his mother's hand mark was still glowing pink. "Your mother was right… you are more Malfoy than Black, you truly are your –"

A rustling noise from somewhere behind them alerted their attention. "Hermione don't, it's not his fault, don't ask me how it's happened, but he's been put under some form of the Imperius Curse."

She flung herself at the bed, tears leaking down her face. Why, why had she been so _stupid_? He was too alike his father from the moment he was born. He looked like him, walked like him, talked like him and even acted in the same way he did, and yet she had seen something inside of him. After his first year at his boarding school, he had changed, ever so slightly, and year after year he kept growing stronger and more powerful and suddenly she had realised that her son was not, in fact so much like his father as she had first thought. Well, until tonight.

But then again, his life and Lucius' had never truly been separate, she had never really understood why. Why was it that the moment she found out that she was having a child, Lucius was not fazed, but acted as though he already knew? Or, why, after Draco was born and taken to his Name Ceremony with all the Black's and Malfoys and any other Pure Bloods Lucius could've rounded up, did he insist on taking him away for a few minutes? Draco had needed changing, he wasn't crying and he certainty hadn't needed feeding, all she had later been told was that one of Lucius' old friends from school had wanted to meet his son, and unfortunately, or was it fortunately, he had not liked crowds.

Why had she been so blind over these years? That 'friend' must have been the Dark Lord, it had to have been. He would've done something to him, her perfectly pure baby boy and turned him against everything she had believed in. Not that her views would've meant anything to anyone. She was the pathetic Black sister. Andromeda hadn't cared who she loved, didn't care what anyone had though about her, and she was the metamorphagus Bellatrix was the most powerful, she could do amazing things even without her wand and that, she knew, had only been taught to her because she was part of the Dark Lord's most powerful and most prized. But Narcissa, the pretty one, she had everyone falling at her feet, but that was about it. Her beauty was her curse, that was always the only thing she seemed to be able to offer the world, and then Lucius came along and fell in love with her, like most men tended to do.

But Lucius had never really seemed like the others at first, she really thought that he'd love her forever, that he loved the person inside, rather than the pretty one she was on the outside. But once they were married, Lucius showed his true allegiance, proving that he loved the Dark Lord more than his own wife, and suddenly she'd realised that she wished she'd gone down the same path as Andromeda, at least she wouldn't have to watch those she cared for die around her, watch them suffer, watch the pain and torture that was bound to happen.

But no one spared her.

Draco sat still clenching his stomach and did not move like the others. They had all started, turned to face Harry, ran to him, hugged him, told him how they had all been incredibly worried about his visions of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. _Saint Potter, the one that everyone loves, what's so special about him?_ Draco thought, trying not to feel like the child trapped inside.

"Don't fuss," Harry said, pushing Hermione's hand away from him and dragging his covers off of him. "Someone get Dumbledore."

"But Harry…"

"No, buts, I know Dumbledore wants to talk to me, I heard him and besides, Malfoy needs help, he's in pain and it's like no one cares."

"Well, they don't," said Ron.

Harry swung his legs out of his bed as Hermione began to fuss again telling him he needed rest and should stay in bed. "Ron, the guy's had a screwed up life – don't you roll your eyes at me! – For God sakes, he caught his dad r–"

"Shut it Potter," Draco rasped, his hands massaging his stomach. "I told you _never_ to speak of that!"

Harry grinned, "There you go, you're fighting it now aren't you Draco, that stupid curse that your stupid dad put on you? I'm right aren't I?" Draco nodded, Ron gasped.

"You called Malfoy by his first name!"

"What's going on here? Miss Weasley came and found me to tell me that something had happened to Harry," Dumbledore spoke as he strode into the room, his purple cloak flowing behind him. His eyes fell on Harry, who was sitting on the edge of his bed, attempting to stand up and failing miserably, like his legs were fast asleep.

"Don't fuss over me Professor, Malfoy needs some help, he's under the Imperius curse."

"Is he now?" Dumbledore asked, turning his head to face the kneeling Draco. "Semper Libero!" The glazed look that had inhabited Draco's eyes disappeared and his grey eyes began to shine. "That was no Imperius Curse Harry that was something a lot more sinister. Draco, by any chance, as a child, that you were put under the Somnium Curse?"

Draco shrugged his shoulders. "I've never even heard of it."

"No," Dumbledore said, "a lot of people haven't. It was a curse used around the time of the Hogwarts Founders' time. Along with the one, I believe Mr. Thomas used against you?" Draco nodded yet Dumbledore did not turn his head to shout at Dean. "These two curses, the Four Circles and the Somnium, are both very powerful Dark Magic that many believe dead to the world of magic, but, as your father has shown and young Dean has, they are not."

"Professor, may I ask, how was Dean able to use the curse? Lucius Malfoy's a grown man, and a Death Eater at that, but –" Hermione stopped and looked at Dean, "– Dean, clearly is neither."

"I've never done it before, only heard of it through Seamus. My anger just lost control though and I, said the words and that happened," he said, nodding his head in Draco's direction.

"Very well Mr. Thomas. Draco, are you able to stand?" Dumbledore asked as Draco got to his feet shakily, grabbing hold of Dumbledore's arm tightly to stop him from swaying. "Harry, get yourself back into bed and I will come along and talk to you once I have taken Draco to his mother, and I think, explained a few things."

"Okay Professor," Harry spoke, swinging his legs back up on the bed and pulled his covers beck over his now, highly pale feet.

There was a soft nock on the door, and she hurried to wipe away the pearly tears that were falling down her face. "C-come in," she muttered.

The door opened and Dumbledore stood silhouetted against the afternoon sunshine, a figure clinging desperately to his sleeve, swaying a little. "Mum?" the person next to Dumbledore said.

"I told you Albus, he is no son of mine!"

"He did not do that curse Narcissa, he took the blame for Mr. Thomas," Dumbledore began to explain, "a very noble thing to do if you ask me."

"Is this true Draco?"

"Yes."

Within a flash she was holding her son in a tight grip, "Oh my baby, I am so, _so_ sorry!" She stroked his hair, her tears pouring in to the fairness.

"It's 'kay mum, really, it is," he whispered soothingly, biting back his very own tears.

The next few weeks went by quickly, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco, Dean and Hermione played Quidditch in the spacious Drawing room, after Hermione had bewitched the book cases in to six golden hoops, three at each end. Fred and George had been too busy at their joke sop to stay for too long but every now and then, they joined in the matches and attempting to hex Draco, but only hitting Ron instead.

By the time the morning of September 1st had come, everyone had packed their things and by half past ten, they were all standing at the very beginning of Grimmauld Place, trunks packed, owls in cages and cats in their travel baskets. They all clambered in to the two Ministry cars that Fudge had allowed them and they were at Kings Cross with fifteen minutes to spare.

Once they had all gone through the barrier on to Platform 9¾ (each in groups of three) they found themselves staring in front of a rather packed platform. They walked up to the end carriage, having said their good-byes to Draco before heading through the barrier.

They walked off to where he saw Neville and Luna standing together, Neville's grandmother and Luna's father in deep conversation about Crumple-Horned Snorlax.

"Hi Harry, Ron, Hermione," Neville said, his round face breaking into a grin.

"Hello Neville, hi Luna, how was the search for the Crumple-Horned Snorlack's?" Harry replied, grinning back at Neville.

"We found them!" she shouted, as though she had been bursting for someone to ask.

"R-really?" Hermione answered, a look of shock spreading over her face.

"Yep! My dad's letting me keep one as a pet. We're famous for discovering them! Isn't that wonderful?" her face was broken into such a sincere smile that they found themselves unable to say no.

They made their way into the neatest compartment, dragging their belongings onto the train after them and, once done, they went outside and began to say their good-byes to Mr and Mrs Weasley. Neville gave his grandmother a hug and she returned it, giving him a kiss on the cheek and Luna ran to her dad, wrapping her arms around his waist and squeezed tightly, he kissed his gently on the forehead before she turned around and sailed dreamily into the compartment. Mrs Weasley hugged each of them in turn, while Mr Weasley shook Ron's, Harry's and Dean's hands before kissing Ginny and Hermione on the cheek.

"Quick, quick, you can't miss the train!" Mrs Weasley shouted ushering them on and slamming the door behind them.

"Bye Mrs Weasley, Mr Weasley, thanks for everything!" Harry bellowed back, Hermione quickly followed along with Dean.

"Bye Mum, Dad, see you at Christmas!" Ginny yelled out.

"Yeah, see you soon!" Ron echoed waving his had hand out of the window as the train began to move.

"Bye children! Stay safe, whatever you do!"

Ron and Hermione left for the Prefects' carriage at the front of the train once they had begun moving and Dean and Ginny left to find Seamus. Harry began to discuss Quidditch with Neville, while Luna sat petting her Crumple-Horned Snorlack.

At quarter past eleven, whilst Harry was in full swing explaining to Neville what he would be doing with the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, the door to their compartment slid open and a very pretty girl with curly brown hair that Harry had never seen before, stood in the door way. "Do you mind if I come in here, there aren't any compartments left?"

"Er, yeah, sure," Harry said, a little dumbfounded. Neville looked up to greet the newcomer, only for his mouth to drop wide open.

"Thanks," she said, sitting down by Luna, who had not taken her gaze away from her Crumple-Horned Snorlack. She smiled at the two boys and her inky blue black eyes shone. Her skin shimmered in the weak sunlight from outside and her hair was bouncing in its ringlets that framed her face, a white headband pulling strands away from her face, but leaving her cute fringe where it was supposed to be. "Danielle Parker," she told the two boys holding her hand out in front of her to no one in particular.

Harry took it in his own and shook it gently, "Ha-Harry Potter," he said, still shocked as to how he'd never noticed someone this pretty before.

She smiled the yes-I-do-know-who-you-are smile and moved her hand so that it was in front of Neville who took and shook it weakly. "Ne-Ne-Neville L-L-Longbottom," he stuttered.

Her smile dropped slightly, even though it was very unnoticeable. She turned to face Luna. "So, who are you?" she asked, poking her hand under Luna's nose.

She looked up, a shocked expression pouring over her face. "I'm Luna Lovegood, who the hell are you?"

"Danielle Parker," she told her, a hint of annoyance in her tone of voice. She dropped her hand and took her bag off her shoulder and placed it on the seat beside her.

"I don't mean to be rude, but, I've never seen you before…" Harry began, but she cut over him.

"I don't doubt that. This is my first year at Hogwarts."

"But, you aren't eleven!" Harry exclaimed, deep set shock now inhabiting his features.

"No, I'm not, I'm sixteen. I've been attending Flaxtran's for the last ten years of my life, but my godfather thought it was wise to stay at Hogwarts with him this year," she explained, opening her bag and pulling out a packet of Honeydukes MasterMallows.

"Who's your godfather?" Luna asked.

"Albus Dumbledore."

Harry spat out the mouthful of water he had just sipped. "What was that?"

"Albus Dumbledore's my godfather why is that so outrageous?" she now had a look of shock on her face, but this time it was mingled with slight disgust because Harry had just spat his water all over her. "Do you always spit over your new acquaintances?"

Harry blushed as he pointed his wand at Danielle and uttered the charm that created a shoot of steam to evaporate the water. "I'm sorry," he said, but she smiled at him.

"Ah, don't worry about it mate, it was nothin'," Danielle said, a slight cockney accent suddenly appearing, Harry raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

A little while later, Harry and Danielle where talking animatedly about Quidditch and how Harry had managed to win Gryffindor House Captaincy and how Danielle was a keen Chaser and had been awarded a place, once she'd finished her schooling in England's Under-Twenty-One's team.

At half past twelve, Ron and Hermione found them, and after introducing themselves, found that they too had a lot in common with the new girl; she was a Chudly Cannon's supporter much to Ron's delight and she had read all the same books as Hermione and had enjoyed them just as much.

It turned out that Danielle would be taking the same subjects as Harry and Ron as, she told them, both her parents had been Aurors and she too had the burning desire to follow in their footsteps. But, on the mention of her parents she fell silent and the others took this as her way of saying 'don't bring them up again at the moment'.

"So, Danielle, what's Flaxtran's like? I've read a lot about it and I know there are a few people at Hogwarts that went there for their primary education and I think it's fascinating!" Hermione asked breaking the uncomfortable silence that had engulfed the compartment.

"Oh, it's really cool, you know, we just get taught simple stuff when were young and we get taught how to fly broomsticks and stuff and then, when we enter our secondary education we're all at the same level. A few of my friends and me we're almost at third year standard when we were eleven. So they just put you through your paces at a younger age."

"You were at third year standard when we were in our first year?" Harry exclaimed looking shocked.

"Yeah, we were only taught basics and then everything was built on gradually. So when we entered our first year we went back over stuff and added to it and all that. They do only take on certain people for the secondary years. It's usually only pure blooded children but my group of friends were all half blood so its not exactly a major thing, as long as they get the money they aren't too bothered who they take on," she told them, Hermione's face became slightly stony but she did not say anything.

"I remember Bill had a friend from there once. Well they had gone to the primary schooling then went to Hogwarts, but how much is it because I remember Fred and George asking to go and mum and dad couldn't afford it?" Ron asked.

"I don't pay for it myself but I think that it's about a thousand galleons per term," she said in a matter of fact tone, pulling out a red lolly from her bag. "Anyone want one?"

"_A thousand Galleons_?" Ron asked, his mouth dropping open. "Per _term_!" she nodded and everyone looked at her.

"Did Dumbledore pay for you?" Luna asked.

"Well he's my legal guardian so I guess so, unless my parents left him the money for it but I have never been told," she said, pulling the wrapper off the lolly and sticking it in her mouth.

"Can I have one?" Neville asked, "Please?"

"Yeah sure, what flavour?" she asked pulling out an assortment of different, brightly coloured spherical sweets on white sticks. He took an orange one and muttered his thanks as she moved them to each of the people in the room, waving them under their noses.

"You are one really lucky girl you know that?" Hermione asked, picking a purple lolly, taking off its wrapper and sticking it in her mouth. "Not many people get a chance to be taught from such a young age and such skill at that."

"Yeah I know, if my parents had been alive I would've attended it until I was old enough for Hogwarts, I've been told that countless of times but you know, things didn't –" But the compartment door slid open and Draco stood in the doorway, Crabbe, Goyal and Pansy Parkinson standing behind him.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Potty, Weasel, Loony, Longbottom and the Mudblood," said Draco, his usual sneer back in place as though the summer had never happened. His gaze completely bypassed Danielle.

"Shove off Malfoy!" Ron proclaimed, pulling out his wand.

"Draco?" Danielle asked looking up at the blonde haired boy. His eyes slid to the owner of the voice.

"Danielle?"

"Merlin's Beard it _is_ you!" she said, jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck. "I haven't seen you in what, six years?" she continued, pushing him away so she could see him better.

"My God that's a long time," he told her, a smile on his face. Pansy Parkinson's face was suddenly more angry bull-like than pug-like. Her wand was out of her robes within an instant and was pointing it between Danielle's eyes.

"Get your filthy Mudblood hands off him!" she hissed, sparks flying from her wand grazing Danielle's forehead threateningly.

"Excuse me, where the hell do you get off calling me a Mudblood, Blood scum?" Danielle screamed, pushing Draco out of the way.

"Blood scum?" shrieked Pansy.

"Yeah, you are!"

"Erm, maybe you should just calm down Danielle," Harry said in a serene tone, although it failed quite miserably.

"You wouldn't _dare_ call me a Mudblood if you knew who I was, who my family were!" she shrieked, as Draco flung his arms out to restrain her from lunging at Pansy.

"Really, who would that be? I bet you're going to tell me that you're related to Merlin or something?"

"Are you mocking me?" Danielle asked throwing Draco aside letting her wand drop down her sleeve and she pointed it at Pansy.

"So what if I am?"

"I wouldn't Pansy, she hexed my arm off when she was eight," said Draco, rubbing his shoulder where Danielle had just thrown him into the wall of the compartment.

"Really?" said Ron, a smile breaking over his face. "Oh my God, she's my new best friend!"

"What the hell is all this commotion about?" asked Remus Lupin as he strolled up toward the fight between the two girls. He took one look at Pansy and Danielle, smiled slightly and then said, "Ten points from Slytherin for fighting Miss Parkinson and, well Miss –" he hesitated slightly, looking as though he was about to say another name and then corrected himself, " –Parker, I do believe you haven't been Sorted yet, is that right?"

"Yes Remus," the words were out of her mouth before she could restrain herself.

"That will be Professor Lupin or Sir when we get back to school Danielle, and when, your House has been decided then I believe that ten points from that House should be taken for fairness."

"Yes Re- I mean Professor," she said flushing pink.

He made to turn away but stopped and gave her a quick look, "You know, whatever anyone else says Danielle, no matter how much you look like the double of your mother, you truly are you fathers daughter."

"Thanks Remus," she said a grin spreading over her face as he raised an eyebrow at her and walked out of the compartment.


	7. Chapter 7 'Founded Truth'

**Chapter Seven**

**Founded Truth**

_I hear you talking, but your words don't mean a thing  
I doubt you ever put your heart into anything  
It's not much to ask for, to get back what I put in  
But I chose the waters that I'm in_

And it makes no difference who is right or wrong  
I deserve much more than this  
'Cause there's only one thing I want

If it's not what you're made of  
You're not what I'm looking for  
You were willing but unable to give me anymore  
There's no way,  
You're changing,  
Cause some things will just never be mine  
You're not in love this time...but it's alright.

-Lucie Silvas, What you're made of

The darkness was closing in around them and the moon was glowing in a soft crescent shape.

"Did you really hex Malfoy's arm off when you were eight?"

"How do you know Remus?"

"Who are you related to?"

"Why'd you call Pansy 'blood scum'? Not that I'm saying she isn't of course," said Neville as the train neared Hogwarts.

"Firstly, yes I did hex his arm off when we were eight, I don't regret it or anything, he had it coming to him but, yeah, it was quite a nasty thing to do," said Danielle, finally giving in to the bombardment of questions that were being thrown her way. "Secondly, I know Remus through my dad, thirdly, I can't tell you who I'm related to, Albus would kill me if I did and lastly, I called Pansy that because she is. She went to Flaxes for a while and she was such a whore. She kept trying to be a part of my group of friends, we were quite renowned for our magical abilities and everything, and she went to any means to get in with us and well, it ended in quite a big argument that actually ended in Draco loosing his arm, so there."

"Well, you can't really say that you didn't have an interesting upbringing!" stated Ron. "You know, can you teach me that spell that makes the person loose their arm? I'd like to use it on Malfoy myself one day!"

Danielle raised an eyebrow in Ron's direction and smiled, he beamed back. "So you'll do it?"

"Ron, you are a prefect! That must be highly illegal and probably Dark magic at that!" scalded Hermione.

"So now you're saying I do Dark magic for fun?" the same hint of anger and annoyance was clinging to her every word like it had done with Pansy.

"No, I'm not, I'm just saying that Ron is a prefect and if he gets himself involved in that kind of magic then he will lose his badge!" Hermione was definitely not in the mood to have an argument like the one Danielle had just had with Pansy, but was clearly standing her ground.

"Maybe, Hermione I don't want to keep my badge, maybe I'm sick and tired of the way Malfoy treats you – I mean us – I mean everyone –" Ron had grown very pink around the ears.

Hermione sat down, a scowl playing on her features, obviously annoyed that she had not won the argument. "We need to change into our robes," she said after ten minutes of uncomfortable silence.

They all nodded and again, in silence, they pulled on their long black robes, everyone that was except Danielle, who pulled on robes that looked as though fire was crawling up the fabric, black flames mixing with the golden ones.

"Erm, Danielle, don't you think that, erm, your robes stand out a little?" Hermione said after failing to restrain herself.

"No," Danielle said as she shook her brown curls out of her face. "Albus said that I could wear what robes I wanted for tonight and that my new House robes would be sent to me tomorrow morning for my lessons."

"It must be cool having Professor Dumbledore as a godfather," said Harry as he set about doing his tie. He failed miserably; causing a large untidy and tight knot to appear where the neat one had materialised on everyone else's.

"Yes, it is," she replied giving him a smile as she pointed her right hand to his throat, a small birds mouth pointing out of the sleeve, where the tie automatically tied itself.

"Firs' years o'er here," Hagrid's voice boomed, echoing across Hogsmead station as everyone clambered off.

"Do you think I need to go with Hagrid?" Danielle asked Luna as they jumped off of the train.

"I don't know why don't you go and ask him?" Luna replied absentmindedly stroking her Crumple-Horned Snorlack.

She wandered over to where Hagrid stood, holding a lantern and with a small huddle of first years at his feet. "Hi Hagrid, I was wondering if I had to cross with the first years?" she asked, he smiled.

"Nope, but ya 'ave ter take this lovely creature ter Dumbledore's office where you'll be Sor'ed. He said he thought it best as yer might stand out a little if you were with the firs' years," he said, pointing to Fawkes the Phoenix.

"Thanks Hagrid, it's good to see you again," she said, hugging him briefly before grasping hold of Fawkes' tail feathers and she disappeared in a flash of bright white light.

Harry watched as Hermione and Ron's mouths dropped open as they neared the Thestral drawn carriages. "So, you can see them?" he asked. Hermione nodded and Ron gulped.

"So that was what we were flying last year?" asked Ron, pointing to the skeletal creature before him.

Harry nodded, "But I don't get it, Professor Dumbledore said Sirius wasn't dead."

"No, but we saw the veil. I was doing some reading over the summer…"

"Move out of my way Mudblood!" shouted Draco, pushing Harry aside, but giving him a tiny smile. Pansy shoved into Hermione.

"Oooops, sorry Mudblood, oh and would you look at that, your little bitch of a friend isn't here to save you know," she hissed, giggling at Hermione who had gone flying into Ron. "I thought you were supposed to be a Pure-Blood Weasley, why hang around with such filth?"

"Blood Scum," muttered Ron, shooting a dirty look at Pansy as they climbed into the carriage.

"Trying out what your friend called me now are you?" she shrieked with laughter as the door slammed shut and it moved on until the next empty carriage was situated before them.

"I don't care if Malfoy's a part of the Order, the company he keeps leaves much to be desired!" said Hermione, glowering at the carriage that was now pulling nearer the school.

The light began to subside and Albus Dumbledore's office came into view. Silver instruments sat on their shelves whirling and swirling and creating white puffs here, there and everywhere. "So, I suppose that this is a welcome back?" Albus Dumbledore's voice asked.

"Hi," she said a happy grin on her face as she threw her arms around Dumbledore and gave him a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages!"

"I know, I know," he whispered placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now, down to a more seri… maybe more _important_ things, would be better apt?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in her direction as they broke apart.

She nodded in what looked like a grateful manner and replied, "So I'm here to be Sorted?"

"Why of course," he said and he walked over to his desk where an old and battered hat sat, looking as though it was glancing around the room with deepest intrigue. "Now all you shall need to do is sit down and place the hat on your head," he gave her a smile as she walked briskly over to his seat, sat down and picked up the hat.

"Do be careful young lady, I am not a toy to be playing with!" the hat exclaimed as she picked it up roughly.

"I never thought you minded when I _was_ a young lady," she murmured.

"Ah yes, now I remember you," whispered the hat in her ear as she placed it on her head, "a great mind, just like your mother and a deep thirst to prove yourself as the truest of your family before you but I sense a reservation and trepidation. I also sense someone who has a disregard for other people's belief's and a certain mischievousness that I have ever only seen in four people before, two of which I believe to be your family.

"So, where do I put you? You are trustworthy and loyal, generous and talented, emotional and yet brave, there is only one place for you – Gryffindor!" the hat bellowed and Dumbledore smiled brazenly.

"With a father like yours Danielle, how could you not be?" he asked as he grabbed up the hat and held open the door to his study. "Oh and Danielle, if you ever need me, the password is Treacle Tart."

The doors to the castle were swung open in invite, the soft glow of the candles shimmering out onto the grounds. Harry jumped out of their carriage behind Neville and Luna and waited for Hermione and Ron to follow.

"So what did you read about the veil then Hermione?" Harry asked in a hushed voice as the passed a huddled group of disgruntled looking Ravenclaw third years.

"I don't think it's really a topic we can discuss in the open, we'll get some chairs by the fire and I'll tell you two later okay?" she asked and they nodded in reply as they entered the Great Hall.

The four House tables were stretched out before them and the ceiling was bewitched to mirror the nights, dusky purple sky. Thousands of candles floated above their heads as they made their way to the Gryffindor table, where Neville sat talking to Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan.

"So you snogged her?" Neville asked a hint of jealousy clinging to his words.

"Yeah," said Seamus, "she said she likes Irishmen! Dude I'm in there!" He spotted Harry, Ron and Hermione and beckoned them towards the empty gaps by them. "Have you met that new girl yet? Mate I hope she's in Gryffindor!"

"So you kissed her then?" Hermione asked a look of distaste on her face. Seamus nodded blissfully. "Well, she didn't tell us she'd met you. She did seem pretty close to Draco though," she told him absentmindedly.

"Filthy scum!" shouted Seamus. "I bet you he's warped her mind to the Dark Side!"

Dean burst out laughing, "Oh my God! You sound like you're part of Star Wars!"

Harry grinned but Ron looked confused and Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Boys!" she murmured as Albus Dumbledore came sweeping into the Great Hall, Danielle following him. He turned to her and whispered something and pointed towards Harry. She nodded as she started towards the Gryffindor table, waving energetically towards Draco as she went past.

"Hiya!" she stated as she bounded towards them. "Haven't forgotten me have you?"

"How could we! You hexed Malfoy!" said Ron, grinning at her. Hermione looked annoyed but said nothing as the Great Halls doors flew open and Professor McGonagall came striding in, a group of First-Years behind her. Harry pulled Danielle down next to him.

"You don't want to piss McGonagall off on your first night," he said in her ear.

"Thanks for the warning Harry, but Minerva won't mind too much, she'll just be glad I'm in her House, although she might be annoyed that I've already lost ten points from Remus…" Harry looked shocked at her words and muttered 'Dumbledore'.

"Yeah, oh I thought I'd let you know that I want to try out for Quidditch, okay?" she asked intently.

"Yeah, course, I'll let you know about tryouts okay?"

She nodded, and they looked up to the High table where all the teachers sat, surveying the students and the new First-Years.

"And now," called Professor McGonagall as the hall fell silent, "the Sorting will begin!"

She placed the Sorting Hat down on its three-legged stool and stood back as it burst into song;

'_One millennia or more ago_

_Gave to use the future of the wizarding fate,_

_For came together did the founders four_

_To make the next magic's great._

_Though Gryffindor was the bravest_

_And heroic beyond the rest,_

_Slytherin however_

_Believed that purity was the best;_

_Clever though Ravenclaw was,_

_She could not quell the fight,_

_Then Hufflepuff, surprised them all_

_And bathed them all with light._

_Gryffindor set to stop him_

_His Lions by his side,_

_But Slytherin's departure_

_Set Gryffindor aside;_

_He created his Secret Chamber_

_With his monster deep within,_

_Murdering his love of Ravenclaw_

_They would not forgive his sin;_

_Hufflepuff stepped in though_

_And without her all would have failed,_

_She set about sealing the Chamber_

_And thus Hogwarts School prevailed._

_The pure loyalty of Hufflepuff_

_With the power so unique_

_Will stand guard over the school_

_If friendship's what you seek._

_The smartest ones dwell in Ravenclaw_

_Where the keen mind are laid to rest_

_Their daring to believe in knowledge_

_Makes their sound mind the best._

_In Slytherin resides_

_The grudges of the past_

_Their cunning and self-righteousness _

_Only purity will surpass._

_And to Gryffindor the bravest_

_Most courageous from the start_

_Where their loyalty and their trust_

_Set's Godric's faithful's apart._

_So now you must unite_

_To save our gracious school_

_Place me on your head my friends_

_For the Sorting of you all!_' A silence echoed around the Hall and then suddenly everyone burst into applause.

"Hey, it didn't sing that to me!" said Danielle indignantly glowering at the hat.

"I never knew that snake kill Rowena Ravenclaw!" stated Hermione, a look of pure surprise creeping to her features.

"Well, what do you know, Salazar Slytherin had a girlfriend!" said Dean, a tiny grin on his face. "That must be why Snape's not to bothered about getting none!"

Harry, who had just taken a sip of water that he had charmed into his goblet, began to choke violently. "Why would you even want to _think_ about that?" he stated, his eyes widening in horror.

McGonagall waited for the hall to fall silent again and then, pulling the scroll of parchment open the Sorting began. "Anderson, Joseph," she called. A small boy with scruffy brown hair and blazing blue eyes hobbled forwards and placed the hat on his head and it slipped down to his nose. "HUFFLEPUFF!" roared the hat and Professor McGonagall took the hat off of his head as he ran towards the Hufflepuff table and she took another glance at the piece of paper.

"Brown, Rose," a girl with a very familiar face and long blonde hair sauntered towards the hat, and, tossing her hair backwards, allowed the hat to be placed on her waving locks. "GRYFFINDOR!" yelled the hat and the girl, who could only be the younger sister of Lavender came walking towards the table and flung her arms around her sister's neck.

The Sorting continued until Weaver, Lucie, became a Ravenclaw and the hat was carried out of the room by McGonagall. At this Dumbledore got to his feet. "Welcome to another year of Schooling. Let the feast begin!" The plates before them suddenly appeared with food, the tables groaning under the weight.

"Wow," Danielle breathed, leaning forwards to scoop some chips onto her plate.

"So, you like it here then?" Harry asked, putting a big dollop of mashed potato on his own plate.

"Well, so far, yes and everyone's being so nice to me," she added, putting a large piece of steak onto the plate. "I can't wait for lessons though; I have a feeling that they'll be totally different to Flaxes."

"How's that?" asked Hermione, cutting into her chicken.

"Well, at Flaxes you stay in the same classes. It's sort of like the Housing system here, basically, each teacher comes to us, unless it was something like Herbology or Care of Magical Creatures where we went to the grounds."

"That sounds so much better than what's going on here. Make the teachers move instead of us, I'd like to see Snape deal with that!" Ron stated, a laugh escaping his lips.

"So, you don't like Snape then?" Danielle asked looking up to the teaches table.

"No one does, well, except maybe Filch, but everyone reckons that's because Filch as a thing for Snape," Harry told Danielle, who raised an eyebrow. "Well, that's what everyone was saying last year at least, and you know, there is sort of evidence, even if some people," he looked pointedly at Hermione, "doesn't think it counts a good hard proof!"

At his last words Danielle burst into uncontrollable laughter, her goblet of Pumpkin Juice spilling over the table cloth and her large inky blue eyes leaking tears down her cheeks. "Sorry," she managed through her ragged breath, "but that was funny shit!" Harry blinked at her but thought better of asking why.

"So then," Harry said leaning towards Danielle, who had pulled a chair over near the fire, "what lessons did you take for NEWT?"

She smiled at him and, pushing a loose strand of her hair out of her face in an annoyed kind of way she too leaned in and said, "Well I'm taking DADA, Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures."

"I might do the same, I'm not too sure about Care of Magical Creatures but –"

"Apparently we've got someone coming from Romania with Dragons," Danielle said over Harry. "Albus told me not to tell anyone but I don't want to be the only one studying it."

"_Dragons_?" asked Harry. He turned to Ron whose mouth had fallen open. "You would've thought Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed it after Norbert!"

A confused look spread across Danielle's face. "Norbert was Hagrid's pet baby Dragon, he hatched it himself, but it bit my hand and Harry and Hermione got put in detention for sending him to my brother!" said Ron, thrusting his hand in front of Danielle showing a very small, pale scar on his right hand by his thumb.

"Your brother?" she asked slowly. "His name wouldn't happen to be Charlie now, would it?"

"Yeah," said Ron. "How did you know?"

"So, he's the one coming with the Dragon's then. How comes you didn't know?" But Ron was unable to answer as Lavender launched herself at Ron and began to giggle uncontrollably. "That is just desperately sick," she told Harry, laughing at the way Lavender kept trying to kiss Ron, who was attempting to fight her off.

Harry looked up at the stair case as footfalls were heard, sure enough Hermione was standing, thick, battered and leather bound book in hand. But Lavender had finally succeeded in cornering Ron and as Hermione looked up at the four of them, the book slid heavily out of her hands, falling with a loud thud on the floor.

Ron pushed Lavender away, looking up at Hermione anxiously, pink eared and frantically trying to push Lavender off of him. "M-Mione?" he stammered.

Even from by the fire, Harry could tell that tears were falling down Hermione's face.

-- If you figure out who Danielle Parker's father is please kindly DO NOT, I can not stress that enough, say this in reviews as this is a basis to the rest of the stories and while it is quite obvious I don't want the surprise to be ruined. --


	8. Chapter 8 'Umbra'

**Chapter Eight**

**Umbra**

_Summer has come and past_

_The innocent can never last_

_Wake me up, when Septembers ends_

_Like my fathers come to pass_

_Twenty years has gone so fast_

_Wake me up, when Septembers ends_

_Here come the rain again_

_Falling from the stars_

_Drenched in my pain again_

_Becoming who we are_

_As my memory rest_

_But never forgets what I lost_

_Wake me up, when Septembers ends_

- Green Day, Wake me up When September Ends

"Mione?" asked Ron, throwing Lavender off of him this time and throwing her a look of disgust. His voice was gentle and concerned; he got to his feet and started towards her. _So I was right!_ Harry told himself, _they are together… or they were at least…_

"Mione, please?" he whispered as though frightened of what was going to happen next. "Look, I didn't, you know I wouldn't –"

"I don't care," she said finally, her voice choked. "You still, you should've…"

"Please come here?" he asked, putting a hand out to grab her towards him but she moved away, looking at him in appal. It seemed neither was aware that the whole common room was staring at them.

She sniffed loudly. "Don't touch me!" she shouted. Ron's face looked like he was about to burst into tears. She looked into his eyes. "I hate you."

From where he was standing Harry knew Hermione was lying but he could also see, no matter how much those words weren't true, Ron had believed her.

"No, please, Mione!" he yelled as she ran towards the portrait and out of the common room. He fell against the nearest wall and dropped, like a stone, down it. He ran his fingers into his hair and he was shaking his head. Ginny looked at her older brother, apparently stunned that he'd do something to hurt Hermione. "Come on now everyone, there's nothing to see here!" Colin Crevey's voice shouted through the silence. Everyone turned away and began to talk amongst themselves again.

"Hey, you wouldn't mind trying to find Hermione would you? It's just she can be really sensitive and I guess a girly mate would be better at the whole shoulder-to-cry-on thing," Harry asked Danielle.

"Yeah, sure, you just keep an eye on Ron, he look's about ready to jump out of the window," she told him, nodding towards the window near the huddled over Ron.

Harry gave her a small smile as she sped towards the portrait and, once she was out of the room, Harry turned on his heel to Ron, put his right arm around his shoulders and yanked him to his feet. "Come on mate, let's get you upstairs."

The corridors were quiet and still, the clock on the wall told her that it was a quarter to nine; she needed to find Hermione fast or get detention for being out of bed. The nearest classroom door was open a little a, as she neared it, hard sobs could be heard along with deep uneven breath.

"Hermione?" she asked as she pushed the door open to look inside. Sure enough, on the floor by the black board crouch a small figure, hugging her knees and crying into them.

She walked over to her and sat down next to her. "Come here," she said, pulling Hermione into an awkward, sideways hug. "I know it hurts like hell, I know… how long have you been going out?" she asked to the girl in her arms.

"Since the end of last year, when we were in the Hospital Wing after what happened in the department of Mysteries… oh yeah, you wouldn't know about that…" she murmured through her sobs.

"Actually, I know _all_ about that." She sounded bitter, upset, tear-choked. "Look, I know it hurts to see the one you like –"

"No," said Hermione definitely, "I loved him, and he's ripped my heart out and…"

"Look, I've been in this sort of position, well not exactly, I only met Ron a few hours ago and I'm not you and I have no idea who that stupid blonde bitch is so yeah but it was similar," she said, smiling at Hermione who raised her eyebrows - as if to say who was it then?– and she continued. "I knew this guy, right and he told me that I was everything to him, that I was his whole world and that he would never choose anything over me."

"Go on," said Hermione. She'd stopped crying but she still sounded as though she'd had a head cold for weeks.

"Well, I hadn't seen him for two weeks and…"

"You caught him cheating on you didn't you!" exclaimed Hermione.

"No, you see he ran off somewhere and chose to go someplace to help out someone who was in trouble and well… he died and the last thing he said to me was, 'don't forget to have a look at the book' or something like that. So there, he broke my heart because I hadn't spent enough time with him."

"But, that's not…"

"Well, it broke my heart, I still haven't got over it, and every time I think about it I feel like jumping out of a window, so I know the pain you're going through."

"Was he the first guy you ever fell in love with?" Hermione asked gently.

"Well I had never met him until I was fourteen you see, but staying with him and being around him for those two years was incredible… I finally had someone," Danielle said, letting out a long sigh.

"But I though you said you hadn't known him long? Two years is a really long time," stated Hermione a baffled expression on her face.

"Not when that person's your dad," said Danielle, dabbing her blue-black eyes with the sleeve of her robes.

Thankfully the sixth-year boys' dormitory was empty and Harry was able to sit Ron down on his bed and get him a glass of water.

"She hates me," he said finally as Harry pushed the glass into his hand. "She really hates me!"

"No she doesn't," said Harry, crouching down in front of his best friend. "She's just upset, come on, how many girls like seeing their boyfriend getting off with someone else?"

Ron looked shocked. "You know? But how?" he asked.

"Guessed," he said truthfully.

"Oh," replied Ron.

"How long have you two been going out behind everyone's backs?"

"Since last summer after the Department of Mysteries, I was heavily sedated and I just kinda, let it slip that I liked her and then she said she liked me too and then we got together the next day when I wasn't so heavily sedated." He sighed heavily and pulled his legs up onto the bed.

"Wow, you kept that really quiet."

"No, we didn't, Malfoy caught us this summer and that's why he keeps grinning at us like a Cheshire cat! That jumped up ponce needs to get over himself, I swear he's going to get hexed so bad if he says anything to Mione that he won't ever be able to walk straight again… EVER!" he cried.

Harry grinned. "As nice as that sentiment is Ron, she actually needs to be in danger before you start mouthing off how you're going to save her and win her back."

"You're right, I need to get her back some way, and you know what she's like, she's too stubborn for her own good!" he said as Harry walked over to his bed and sat down on its edge.

"Hey, maybe you could pay Malfoy to pick on her so you could jump in and be her knight in shining armour!" Harry said laughing a little. Ron shot him a look of disgust.

"I'll get her back on my own merit thank you very much… no Malfoy will ever help me… ever!" shouted Ron in a dignified sort of way, throwing his hangings around his bed shut and pulling one of them off. His ears glowing slightly red, Ron repaired the drapes and flung himself face first into his pillows, muffling the yell of anguish that escaped his lips.

At breakfast next day, Hermione still refuse to even as much as sit near Ron let alone talk to him. Telling Harry that she'd see him in Care of Magical Creatures, she walked off towards Ancient Runes with Paravati Patel.

"Don't worry about her Ron, she'll come around sooner or later," said Danielle who was cutting into a bit of bacon as a handsome black eagle owl came soaring towards her. "Umbra!" she shouted as the owl settled down in front of her breakfast and began to bite at her bacon rinds.

"Who's owls that? Don't tell me it's Malfoy, he only sits over there!" Harry told her eyeing the bird suspiciously.

"No it's not, it's my friend Laura's!" she snapped impatiently, pulling the letter and small package off of the owl's leg before it nibbled her finger in a friendly manner, spread its giant wings and flew off up into the air.

"Who's Laura?" asked Ron absentmindedly still watching the door which Hermione had just left from.

"What does she say?" asked Harry, "Sorry, you don't have to tell me, force of habit from Ron and Hermione."

"Don't worry, can't hurt too much." She ripped back the envelope and pulled out the sheaf of parchment that was inside.

_Dear Dannie,_ it said in a neat scrawl,

_We hope everything's okay at Hogwarts with your Uncle. Things are way weird here at the moment, this school just seems way too quiet nowadays what with the Dark Lords return and all that jazz, not many people have shown up this year and we were already a small school._

_Hope you get the package okay, Claire and Mike brought it on their holiday in Greece, we've all got one. They said they hope you like it. It's harsh you know, you leaving me and Claire to deal with Mike and Kyle on our own, you know what the two of them are like! Mike crept back into my bed again last night can you believe it! I know I said that if you needed me then I'll help, but right now, I think I need your help more than you need mine!_

_Did you meet the Boy-Wonder? Is he nice (if you've met him that is)? Meet up with anyone else that went to Flaxes? What House are you in? Oh and can you see if you have my book of Ancient Egyptian's and their curses, I think Rachel must have put it in your trunk instead of mine._

_But yeah, it still stands, if you need me, (or now us because they've all got it in their heads that they'll come and help too if you want us) just give a yell and we'll be there. _ 

_Send an owl back with the book and a letter for a chat, don't put too much in, in case it's intercepted but yeah. It'll be good to here from you in the other side of Britain!_

_Love ya,_

_Lawz, Kyle, Mike and Clao_

_XXXX_

"Boy-Wonder?" asked Harry curiously who had a sneaky suspicion what the answer was going to be.

Blushing a little bit she replied, "It's what Laura call's you, well, they all call you it, Lawz, Kyle and Mike and Claire that is."

"Thought so," he said stonily. "So, is there anyone else here that you know from Flaxtran's?"

"Yeah, a few; Pansy went there for a little bit, Draco, Blaise Zabini and there are a few people in the years above and bellow us that I know went there. That new kid in Hufflepuff, the first one to be sorted last night, he did, he was quite sweet, always picked his broom up from the wrong end." She sighed and lent down to her bag.

Ron picked up the carefully wrapped package that was situated next to Danielle's breakfast. "What about this?"

"Oh thanks," said Danielle, stretching out her hand to take it off of him. She pulled off the pink ribbon and then the white paper. A small black box lay in her palm and another sheaf of parchment fell out. It read:

_I hope you like it; it's a bit of a bummer that you won't be here this year. I got this when I was on holiday in Greece, and I got one that matched everyone. Hope you like it!_

She pulled the box open and giggled. Inside the box, on a wad of black velvet laid a small silver necklace, a phoenix pendant burst from flames. Set in the bird's eye was a jewel of darkest jet.

"Ah, that's so sweet!" she said pulling the necklace out of the box, as she did, the velvet came up, revealing a shrunken package of sweets, a note resting on top of them.

_So here's the deal, I thought I might as well shrink them in case Lawz tries to read I mean eat them. They aren't your usual MasterMallows, they've got Vodka in them and we all know how much you like your Vodka. See you soon Hun, love ya loads Mike xxx_

She sighed, put the necklace around her neck and put the tiny pack of sweets in her pocket along with the notes. "I'll have to reply to these in a little bit."

"We should be getting along to Care of Magical Creatures," said Harry looking at his watch. "I wonder if we'll have the dragons today or not?" He raised his eyebrow hopefully at Danielle.

"Not a clue!"

The grounds were crisp and the air was fresh, so, pulling on their cloaks, Harry, Danielle and Ron headed off in the direction of Hagrid's hut. "Ah!" he said clapping his giant hands together, "ya came back!"

"'Course we did Hagrid!" said Ron. "Don't suppose we'll be able to have a cup of tea?"

"Well no, but ya could go an' say high to yer brother if ya wanted to, he's jus' shown up. You don' know if anyone else is comin' do ya?" Hagrid asked hopefully as Ron ducked inside the cabin with Harry.

"Hermione is," said Danielle. "So, what else are we studying this year?"

"Apar' from Dragon's ya mean?" Hagrid asked giving her a wink. "Well, that's for me to know and you ter find out!" He tapped the side of his nose, "Ah look, here comes Hermione!"

She walked across the grounds, Neville hurrying behind her, and halted as she saw Harry and Ron emerge from Hagrid's hut, Charlie behind them. She looked straight at Danielle who nodded and smiled and she kept walking.

"Hermione!" boomed Hagrid. "Whatever is the matter?" he asked, seeing her slightly puffer pink eyes.

"It's nothing Hagrid, really!" she told him throwing a sickened look at Ron whose ears glowed pink.

"Hi Hagrid," said Neville, crouching over to catch his breath. "Sorry if I'm a bit late."

"Not ter worry, now let's get down to business then," he told them, a grin sitting smugly on his face. "So, this term, as some of you may already know, we'll be studying dragons under the careful watch of Mr. Charlie Weasley – do yer want them calling yer Charlie or Mr. Weasley?" Hagrid asked.

Charlie grinned and said, "Charlie's fine Hagrid, calling me Mr. Weasley will just make me feel like my dad."

"Very well then," said Hagrid. "Okay, can anyone tell me the types o' dragons that were here at the Triwizard Tournament two years ago? Yes Hermione?"

"There was a Chinese Fireball, a Swedish Short-Snout, a Common Welsh Green and Harry tackled a Hungarian Horntail," she said, apparently her anger with Ron could be forced to the side when in class.

"Well done, ten points ter Gryffindor. Now does anyone know any other breeds?"

"Norwegian Ridgeback," said Ron lazily as he sighed heavily and rolled his eyes to the sky. A misty glaze echoed in his eyes.

"Antipodean Opaleye's are prized Dragons, very rare and highly powerful," said Danielle as she bent down to retrieve her book from her bag.

"Well, that's quite impressive!" said Charlie. "Have we met before Miss…?" he added hopefully.

"Parker, Danielle Parker, and yes, we met briefly last summer."

"That's right, Dumbledore's niece. Well, that explains it, Flaxtran's right? They always teach their students a, shall we say a, _wider range _of information than they do here at Hogwarts, not that I'm saying Hogwarts is a bad school, it's the best but Flaxtran's branch out into more, _forgotten_ areas of magic," said Charlie. "I'll go and get it shall I Hagrid?"

"Yes, yes Charlie, maybe it would be better if we go into the hut then, there'll be enough room." They all followed Charlie Weasley into the cabin and sat around Hagrid's wooden table. A large, pale grey egg was sitting in the fire merrily, the flames licking around the shell.

"That's an Antipodean Opaleye egg!" breathed Neville. "We're actually going to study it like that?" Terror clung to every one of Neville's words.

"Yup," said Hagrid simply. "Well, I'll pass you over to Charlie; it's just about ready ter hatch isn't it?" he asked excitedly. Harry had only ever seen Hagrid this happy once before, and that was at the hatching of Norbert.

He nodded and, putting on some very thick dragon-hide gloves, Charlie put his hands into the flames and took the egg over to the table. They all moved back a little.

Taking his wand from out of his pocket, Charlie sent a stream of fire towards the egg. "Now, you all brought your new extra-thick gloves I hope?" he asked. They all nodded. "Good, 'cause you'll need them. Now, this egg's on the verge of hatching, you'll see there are darker lines appearing over the shell where it'll begin to crack," he told them pointing to the thick grey shapes were emerging and then continued, "so Ron if you go over there and sit next to Hermione that'll make sure the shell doesn't impale you when it flies off."

"It'll be easier for all of us if it _did_ impale him!" Harry distinctly heard Hermione whisper to Danielle.

"There we go it's staring." Sure enough, the dark grey lines had begun to break a little. "Now, you need to keep the fire on it until the cracks become big enough for it to burst out. Does anyone else want a go?" he asked.

"I will," said Harry taking his wand out. "Incendio," he said and a stream of flames burst from the tip of his wand identical to Charlie's and pointed it at the egg.

"Well done Harry, now, oh look the shell's cracking!" Charlie too, now sounded excited. They all leaned in a little and little bits of shell started to fly off. "Okay Harry, take the heat off of it now, yes that's right and now just watch." He pointed to the egg and for a few minutes they waited. Harry was reminded poignantly of when he, Ron and Hermione had waited around the very same table, waiting for Norbert's arrival. Everything had been so simple back then, for a start Ron and Hermione weren't at each other's throats every other day and then there was the fact that no one had had to die to save him at that point after his parents.

A bit of shell flew of and hit him hard on the forehead; he could feel blood pouring down into his eye from just above his left eyebrow. "Harry, did you not hear me say move away now?" came Charlie's slightly annoyed voice.

"Sorry," Harry apologised, whipping the blood out of his eye and, leaning back, he watched the egg intently.

One large crack was breaking the shell cleanly in two, smaller chunks were flying everywhere. And then the shell fell away and a small pearly scaled dragon sat on the table, shaking its head. Its tail was about the same size as its body and it had a sharp looking spike on the very tip. The talons on the dragon looked deathly long. It opened its eyes and, Harry noticed that they were shimmering different colours, there was no pupil.

Then it coughed, a little like Norbert had and a shoot of brilliant red flames scorched the table. "So can anyone tell me what sex it is, and why you can distinguish this one for the other sex?"

Danielle put her hand up and Hagrid nodded to her to answer. "Well, it's a female. The tail and the talons give it away," she said, pointing to the creature. "On the males the tail is forked so that they look more fearsome to attract their mates and the male talons aren't nearly as long and shiny."

Charlie stared at her open-mouthed. "Yes, that's correct, twenty points for Gryffindor. I haven't met anyone, who hasn't studied dragons for a long time, who can tell me that since I talked to Sirius Black last summer."


	9. Chapter 9 'Fear'

**Chapter Nine**

**Fear**

_And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming_

_Or the moment of truth in your lies_

_When everything feels like the movies_

_Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive_

_And I don't want the world to see me_

'_Cause I don't think that they'd understand_

_When everything's made to be broken_

_I just want you to know who I am _

- Goo Goo Dolls, Iris

Ron sat their gapping at his brother. The dragon sitting on the table shook herself and a piece of shell flew into Ron's open mouth. He spat it out in disgust. "Charlie!" he practically shouted. "You really know how to put your big foot in it!"

Harry, felt as though his stomach had dropped out. He sat gapping at the dragon, which turned her big opal eyes upon him and stared curiously. She cocked her head to the side as if to say, 'Are you okay?' and he knew the honest answer was no. But Charlie's words hadn't only had an effect on Harry; Hagrid took a long look at Danielle as if to provoke her into crying and Neville sniffed loudly, while Hermione fell oddly quiet as though she was forgetting to breathe.

"S-Sirius Black?" asked Danielle. "I-I'm like him?" a strange look was plastered over her face, yet it was hard to decipher what emotions she was masking. It was either fear or grief or maybe even pride.

"Don't take it the wrong way," said Charlie hastily. "He wasn't a bad guy, he was great in fact, good laugh but many people still believe it was him who sold the Potters to You-Know-Who."

Danielle's eye's flashed angry jet black, as though her pupil was covering her whole eye, but when she next spoke though, she was calm. "Look, I know Sirius Black," said his name with the greatest detachment, as though she was used to calling him something else, "never did any of that shit to the Potters! It was stupid Peter Pettigrew! Why would he want to hurt the Potters for god sakes! He was in –" Hagrid looked straight at her and she stopped herself. She took a deep breath and continued. "He was best friends with James, why would he do that? Look, I hate it when people talk to me like a kid, if I'm the goddaughter of Albus Dumbledore, do you really think I'd still believe that Sirius," again she said his name with the same separation, "was a mass murdering idiot who wanted to be a bum-chum of Voldemort?"

Her speech left an odd silence in its wake but once he'd had time to recover Charlie spoke, "I'm sorry to have said that stuff but I don't like the language you were using Danielle, ten points from Gryffindor."

She stare open mouthed at him, pearly tears of angry welling up in her eyes. "Danielle, could I have a quick word with ya?" asked Hagrid quietly. She nodded and he led her out of the cabin.

"So, Sirius knew about dragons?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, had a great knowledge, he was very interested in them. I guess he must have found stuff out about them through his Auror training but yeah…"

"Sirius was an Auror?" stated Hermione. "He never told us that!"

"Well, I guess you didn't know him for very long. Yes Sirius was an Auror along with Lily, James and Remus, but he couldn't stay long, the legislation against werewolves came into action a year after he completed his training and he resigned."

"My mum… and my dad?" he breathed. "Why did no one ever bother to tell me?"

"Maybe they didn't want you to… Harry where are you going?" asked Charlie, for Harry had just jumped to his feet and was wrenching open the door before any of them could stop him.

"… You shouldn' say stuff like that do yer really think he'd be too impressed with the way you talk about him? I thought you was proud to be his…" Hagrid said sounding panicky. "Harry? What ya doing?" called Hagrid as Harry began storming up to the castle. "Harry?"

The bell echoed around the castle signifying the start for break causing Harry to jump out of his reverie about Sirius and his parents. He clambered to his feet from the dusty floor of the empty classroom and headed towards the door. He let his mind travel as he trod the very familiar way towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and again began to think about those family members he had lost. They had all been Aurors, so that was where he had got such a driving passion; he was choosing the one job that they had also all chosen. But now that he thought about it, it wasn't actually as surprising as he had found it earlier. Sirius was a brave and powerful man, very intelligent and very against the Dark Arts, no matter what the majority of the Wizarding world thought. And hadn't Sirius and his father been the brightest in their year, yes he thought he remembered Professor McGonagall mentioning something like that. His mother was probably the more surprising one, hadn't she stuck up for Snape even though he was so submerged in the Dark Arts?

"Harry, are you okay? Hagrid was really worried about you," echoed a voice in his head.

"Hi Hermione," he mumbled as he reached the class door. He looked up into Hermione's anxious face and saw Danielle standing somewhere behind her, submerged in conversation with Ron while, he noticed, Lavender Brown through her rather jealous looks. "Lavender doesn't look to happy, does she?" he asked. Hermione looked over her shoulder and shrugged.

"Yes well, she deserves whatever she gets. And besides they're only talking about Ron's dear Chudley Cannons," she stated tartly. Harry noticed that her tone was rather scathing. He grinned in spite of himself.

He looked around the rest of the class as the other students milled into the line. He noticed Draco and gave him the tiniest of smiles and was sure he received one too. He watched him for a moment as he walked over to Danielle and they began to talk animatedly, Ron looked disgusted but did not even give any recognition that Draco was even there until, that was, Draco (obviously having to uphold his Slytherin-ness) turned to him and stated very loudly so that the whole corridor could hear, "So, Weasley is it true?"

Ron glared at him, his features screeching 'I hate you', and spoke very clearly, "Is _what_ true?"

"That the Mudblood dumped you?" Draco, it was safe to say, was not entirely comfortable saying this, but he still roared with laughter along with his Slytherin friends for the effect. But before Ron, Hermione, Harry himself or even Lavender had the chance to react, Danielle's wand was in her hand as though it had appeared there out of nowhere and pointing threateningly between Draco's eyes.

"Look, Draco, sweetie, as much as I love you, could you not shut your pie hole for once in your life?"

Draco burst out laughing in pure, fits of mirth this time, the same kind of laughter Harry had seen that summer. Danielle's wand shot black sparks out of its end. "I said shut it Draco!"

"It's not that Dannie, it's that you said… pie… hole!" and that was about as much sense anyone could make of Draco for a good minute. Not even his precious Pansy could coax him out of his hysteria.

Harry walked over to Danielle, to congratulate her on her very original defeat of Slytherin's greatest jerk, when he saw it. Her wand was like no other he had ever seen. "Dannie… your… wand… it's so… strange…"

"What about it?" she asked. Harry noticed she tightened her grip around the handle.

"It's so beautiful! Can I have a look?" Relaxing slightly, Danielle reached out her arm and gently placed the wand in Harry's hands.

In his hands lay a black wand of the like he'd never seen before, for it had been carved into the shape of what looked like an elongated bird. Where the tip of a normal wand should have been was the mouth of the bird, stretched wide, like it was shrieking, and a clear glass-like ball rested in its beak. Its eyes, that were gleaming silver, looked angry and piercing.

The handle of the wand was the rest of the body, two wings spread wide and the legs were folded under its body as though it were flying. It had long, carved tail feathers and the creature's neck, the main body of the wand, was carved with its feathers.

"It's incredible," he whispered. "Where did you find it?"

"Oliviander's. It's an experimental wand though, the only one of its kind!" she told him proudly.

As he turned the wand around, as to get a better look, it hit him what type of bird it was.

"It's a phoenix!" he proclaimed.

"Yeah, it is," she said with a satisfied look on her face. "It's ebony, 13 inches."

"What makes it experimental?" he asked.

"The core, phoenix tears and ashes," she told them, still grinning broadly. "It's very good at healing spells and curses."

"How comes it's good with curses?"

But this time it was Hermione who answered, breaking her untold vow of silence. "Harry, you should really know that by now! You're in your NEWT years!" She sighed dramatically and continued her rant. "If you place the tip of your wand into phoenix ashes before you curse someone, the power of the curse is multiplied tenfold!"

Harry blinked for a few seconds while his brain registered what had been said. "Oh," he mumbled. "I'll keep that in mind."

"And so you should Harry, because we will be using phoenix ashes later on in the year… Now, into class everybody," said Lupin, making ushering movements with his hands. Everybody turned to face the closed door to find it open wide in welcome.

Once everyone was seated, Lupin took out his wand, tapped the board and began his lesson. "It is so good to see you all again. I am glad to see so many of you in the Defence Against the Dark Arts class, yet I am not surprised."

Dean raised his hand and Lupin nodded for him to answer. "Erm, Professor Lupin, what'll we be doing this year now, erm You Know Who is back?"

"A very good question Dean," Lupin said enthusiastically, Harry distinctly notice Draco roll his eyes. "For the start of the year I will recap, in only the first two lessons, those things that you should have been taught. For example, in today's lesson I shall recap the correct way to defend one's self from a Bogart and in next weeks lesson I shall be recapping what Professor Moody should have taught you and that, my friends will then lead us nicely into sixth year Defence. Does anyone have any questions?" Draco raised his hand. "Yes Draco."

"Will we all have to fight the Bogart?" he asked timidly.

"Yes Draco, we will all have to tackle the Bogart, the only person I may draw my concern to will be Harry. Are you still able to produce your Patronus?"

"Yes Professor."

"Well then, I can't see why there would be any problems." Draco raised his eyebrows and Danielle tossed her head to the side to look at him but no one else said a word. "Right, now class, jump to your feet, pull out your wand and let's begin today's lesson." Lupin pulled out his own wand and flicked it in the direction of the desks. They went sailing towards the walls and the classroom was clear. "Sort yourselves into a line and we shall get cracking."

The class shot each other with furtive glances and sorted themselves into a line. The last time they had taken on a Bogart had been in their third year and that had been fun, but many things had happened in the years that had passed and it seemed that the whole class believed it to be only a matter of minutes before a Bogart-Voldemort appeared in their classroom… the only problem being, no one knew who's it would be.

CRACK! A cloud of smoke arose from the classroom floor and there stood a tall figure, eyes like slits and glowing red. His skin was stretched over his face and he looked skeletal. His long, bony fingers made a movement for his wand and he grinned evilly around the room.

Draco's grey eyes widened in shock and he beads of sweat began to pour down his forehead. He stumbled backwards as Voldemort neared him; his wand had fallen to the floor. He crashed into someone who stood behind him and looked up into her blazing fiery eyes hopefully. "Riddiklus!" she screamed and Voldemort tripped over the hem of his billowing cloak and went crashing to the floor. "Move," she whispered to Draco and he obediently walked towards the window for some fresh air.

CRACK! Some more smoke filled the room and this time, as it began to dissipate, a tall, stone archway had appeared. Harry's eyes grew wide with shock as he watched the archway became solid. He'd seen that before! He was crying before he realised the tears and a tight painful feeling had clamed around his heart and stomach for the second time that day. The black curtain that hung limply between the stone was fluttering innocently in some unseen breeze.

But Harry was not the only one crying. Danielle was to and then all too suddenly, the curtain lifted in a high breeze and that was when it appeared. The dead rotting hand, clamped tightly around a long piece of knobbly wood, a shining, curved blade strapped to the end, and the long lack flowing cloak. It was hovering off of the floor, so that the cloak dragged and, once it had fully moved out from the veil, its hooded head moved about the room until it fixed upon Danielle. It took a deep rattling breath and she began to scream. She was screaming like she'd neaver screamed before. It was an unearthly sound. She was terrified, in pain and relieving her sordid past.

Professor Lupin made a strange, strangled sound and leaped in front of Danielle. A clouded moon appeared in front of him and he sent the Boggart back to the box by his desk. Danielle had collapsed to the floor, and Lupin dropped to his knees beside her. He whispered something to her and hugged her tightly. "Class, you're dismissed." A groan filled the room. "Draco, Danielle, stay with me please. I need to talk to you both."

"What the hell was that all about?" Ron asked bluntly, as he picked up his bag and left the class with Harry and Hermione.

"I haven't actually got a clue," said Harry. "But, that was the veil in the Department of Mysteries wasn't it? The one that…" his voice trailed off as he looked at Hermione.

"No, it wasn't. Did you not see the top most stone?"

"Hermione, I was sort of concentrating on that _thing_ that was coming out of it, if you catch my drift. Did you see it? It was like some sort of giant Dementor!"

"Why?" asked Hermione suddenly and shrilly, "Why on _earth_ did I even waste my time on such an insensitive, unbelievably stupid, dick head like you!" And with that she turned on her heals and stormed from the conversation.

"What's got her goat?" asked Ron.

"You know Ron, sometimes, and now please don't take this the wrong way; I actually think Hermione has a point."

"But… I'm not insensitive, am I?"

"Ron, do you not remember that veil?" Harry asked. He felt a nasty sensation in his stomach. Ron shook his head. "Ron, it's that thing that killed Sirius… or what we thought killed him."

Harry wandered the hallways alone after Defence Against the Dart Arts. He didn't have any more lessons and so he left Ron. It took him fifteen minutes to find Hermione.

"How are you?" she asked as he walked into the classroom.

"Alright, considering," he told her.

"That's good. Ron wised up to why he was being insensitive?"

"Only once I'd told him."

"Oh Harry," she said, gripping him in a sisterly embrace. "Look, I have something to show you about that veil, but maybe it's better left for another day after what's just happened?"

"No, go on, hit me with it, I can't possibly feel more depressed than I do already," he told her, leaning back against the wall.

Hermione put a hand into her school bag and withdrew a very old, very thick, very dusty book. She flicked through the pages and came to a halt at page six hundred and sixty six. "Here," she told him unnecessarily. "_Many years ago, before the Ministry of Magic was located in London, the Department of Mysteries was a separate building. This was because of the famous Room of Death. The Room of Death was built up around a well-known 'Veil of Death'_ - Harry, don't you dare start to pretend to snore… do you want to hear this or not? – _The Veil of Death was renowned for the birth of the Wizarding Execution System. Many people believed that this was a full proof way of disposing of those who had committed high treason to the Wizarding World. But a flaw occurred a year after the hundredth person had been executed. The veil began to release hundreds of_ – it then goes smudged and I haven't been able to reconstruct whatever it says – _into the grounds of _– there's another smudge. –_ Theorists believed it was possible that if they were able to return from the veil, would it possible for those who had been executed in this way to return as well. Many tests were carried out and it was then discovered that…_"

"That what?" asked Harry impatiently, "How do they return? Hermione! I get that it's sick and wrong and that Bellatrix must have known what she was sending Sirius too but please… Hermione he was my Godfather… I want to know what sort of demented place she sent him to and I want to know how to get him back!"

But Hermione just stared at the page because there was nothing else for her to read. A large smudge of something that looked suspiciously like blood was spread over the rest of the page and she could no longer read on.

"I –" Hermione began but a familiar voice sounded from the door to their left.

"It was then discovered that only those with a direct blood connection to the person, say a sibling, parent or offspring, could reach that person. It was also discovered that if those family member's were unable to locate and bring back their child, sibling or parent before a year was over, then a torturous ritual would be performed and those that had been forced there would become the Creatures of Depression and expelled back upon the world through the other means… the Veil of Life."


	10. Chapter 10 'The Crying'

**Chapter Ten**

**The Crying**

_New day dawning, rain is falling  
Newspapers blow at my feet  
Someone told me, take it easy  
Take all the time that you need_

I make my way all through,  
The crowded faces of the day…

Now it's all over, 

_It's all over with the crying.  
Now it's all over, _

_I'm stone-cold sober  
And I'm trying._

Now it's all over, 

_It's all over with the crying.  
Now it's all over, _

_I'm stone-cold sober  
And I'm trying_

Who would ever take the time…?  
To hear me say goodbye?  


- Kristian Leontiou, The Crying

Hermione was standing at the door within two seconds, leaving Harry staring blankly at the wall. "Who is it?" he asked dumbly.

"It's me, Dannie," she said softly as she came nearer, walking behind Hermione.

"How did you know that stuff? How long were you standing there listening?" he asked rudely, not able to mask the sinking feeling of bitter depression and failure in the pit of his stomach.

"I wasn't standing there for long and come on Harry, it's not like the two of you were getting up to anything was it? I wasn't about to walk in on you betraying your best mate now was I?" Harry shook his head realising hot salty tears were sliding down his face. "And to answer your other question, I have that book, a little more well kept than that one, no blood on my one you see, and you have it too Harry."

His head shot up as fast as it could, mild whiplash setting into the back of his neck. "Ow," he grumbled, "what do you mean that I have it too?"

"It's the book set for Sixth Year Defence; I'm guessing you haven't read it yet?" she asked bluntly.

"No," he admitted, "I haven't read it, but why would Lupin set us a book that tells us all about Sirius' death for this years DADA?" he asked Hermione.

But it was Danielle who answered. "The book is about curses you mug and it has theory about how the curses came into existence. The Patronus Charm… The Veils of Life and Death are the reason that the Charm came into existence."

"You know something, you sound scarily like Hermione… apart from calling me a mug, she'd never do that," he told Danielle.

"Oh really?" asked Hermione huffily, "Well, you're actually wrong about something… you mug!" and pushing past Danielle, she stormed from the room.

"Does she do that sort of thing all the time?" asked Danielle, "Because it's the third time in two days…"

"No, she's never done that before, but then again, she's never broken up nastily from someone she loves before," Harry told Danielle.

"Alright then, are you coming back to the Common Room?" said Danielle as she turned towards the door.

"I'll be there in a little bit."

"Okay then."

"Oh and Dannie, Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts are on Saturday, Ron and I are practicing Friday night if you want to join us."

"Thanks Harry, I'd like that."

The Common Room was pretty empty when Harry returned, he guessed everyone was down at dinner but he noticed a lone figure hunched up in a chair near the fireplace and headed in the direction of Ron.

"Hey mate," said Harry, slumping down into the chair opposite his best friend.

"Hi," replied Ron unenthusiastically.

"Still pissed off about Hermione?" he asked.

"Yes… and about what Malfoy said…"

"Ron, who cares…? He was only saying it for the effect of upholding his Slytherin-in-ness… Anyway, it's Malfoy, he's scared of a bald man who can't kill a baby, since when have you ever cared about Draco Malfoy's thoughts?"

"Well, there was second-year when I tried to make him eat slugs because he called Hermione a Mudblood and then there was that time that…"

"Ron, it was a rhetorical question…"

"Oh."

They sat in silence together, staring at the fire as it danced over the logs, Harry wishing that Sirius' head would appear there and talk to him, advise him, comfort him… Ron's eyes were glistening with tears, Harry was sure he was thinking about Hermione and how she told him that she hated him, when would they learn that their love could survive anything?

At around about half past seven the portrait opened and Hermione and Danielle walked into the Common Room chatting animatedly about something girly with Ginny and some girl Harry didn't know the name of behind them. He waved at them and the girl who was talking to Ginny almost fell over. _That's odd_ thought Harry, but he saw her blush an alarming shade of pink and understood that she must fancy him… or Ron… but then why hadn't Hermione knocked her out?

"Hi Harry," said Ginny as the four grew nearer to himself and Ron. "How are you?"

"I'm good, what about you?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm cool. Hey, this is Siobhan…" said Ginny, nodding to the girl next to her. She was very pretty now that Harry could see her close up. She had long auburn hair with a side fringe and a cute smile.

"Hi," she said timidly.

"What year are you in?" asked Harry.

"Same as you, but I only got here the year of the Triwizard tournament. I was home schooled before that," she told him in a very quiet voice.

"How comes?"

"I don't know, my mum just didn't want me going but when she found out I was in Gryffindor she was happy, I was afraid I'd be sent back home again after Cedric died but she had no further complaints… not even about Mad-Eye Moody being an impostor," she said and then sighed heavily. "Weird world isn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess it is," sighed Harry.

Danielle pulled her wand out and cast a spell to bring some chairs over but almost knocked a few first years out and Ginny, Hermione, Siobhan and Danielle sat down to talk to Harry and Ron.

"So, who exactly _is_ trying out for the Quidditch team this year?" asked Hermione.

"You know, I haven't actually got a clue, I'm obviously not going to forsake my position of Seeker so that leaves what, space for two Beaters and two Chasers, Ron's got no choice but to stay on as Keeper –"

"You seem to have a lot of confidence in me…" grumbled Ron.

"– As I was saying Ron will be staying on as Keeper. Look mate," Harry said, turning to Ron, "Think good Gryffindor 'Weasley is our King'; you can do it if you put your mind to it, and you know you can."

"Weasley is our King? Draco told me about that…" said Danielle, but she was silenced as Ron gave her a look of disgust. "What? I was just saying…"

"Well don't!" said Ginny nastily.

"Who's got your goat?" asked Danielle sarcastically.

"What?"

"It's a saying you mug," stated Danielle.

"Well," said Siobhan, coughing loudly through the argument that was surely about to commence. "So, Harry, what subjects do you like the best?" asked Siobhan blushing furiously. Harry noticed Ginny threw her a rather annoyed look.

"Oh, I like Defence Against the Dark Arts," he caught Ginny's eye. "Gin, what _has_ got your goat?"

"Nothing that concerns you," she said rudely.

"Jeez, Harry was just asking Ginny, there's no need to bite his head off!" snapped Ron.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Hermione in her irritating fashion.

"No it doesn't happen to be obvious to anyone except you…" said Ron but Hermione cut across him.

"Well, I wouldn't have expected you to have got it… with a scull as thick as yours!"

"My scull is not thick!"

"Yes it is! You have been blind to your sister's upset all afternoon! You are an idiot Ron Weasley! She needs her brother right now and you are oblivious to her cries for help!"

"Don't you dare tell me what I should and should not do with my sister!" he yelled. "It's not your place!"

"Yes it is! Ginny's my friend…"

"And she's my sister! Just because we were going out doesn't mean you have the right to tell me how to run my life! You made sure you had nothing to do with me last night so leave me alone!"

Tears were welling up in Hermione's face and the others sitting around the now standing pair had inched away from them. "You are a pig-headed arse hole Ron, I was trying to help and you just can't stop it! You want me back yet you keep pushing me away!"

"But… but…"

"Go fuck Lavender… I'm sure she'd jump at the chance to yank your trousers down!" screeched Hermione storming off.

"Well, you're really going the right way to get her back bro… well done!"

The rest of the week seemed to go quickly to Harry and he was walking into Potions, the last lesson of the week, when he realised he was having Quidditch practice that evening.

"Well, you select few have decided to take Potions for the final two years at Hogwarts," said Snape coldly, his eyes skimmed over Harry and then, surprisingly, shot Danielle a disgusted look. "For many of you, the Potions we brew will become too complex and you may wish to drop out of the subject," again he looked at Danielle, but this time it looked like he was more hopeful, "but until that day, may I remind you, that this year, the work we do must be completed to an extremely high standard! We will be brewing potions that can change a person's physical state and could even save those from death…"

Danielle coughed loudly.

"Yes, Miss Parker?" he asked.

"Professor, I was under the impression that this year would be a difficult one. I've already brewed a Polyjuice Potion."

The colour in Snape's face drained and was replaced with a slight flush. "Then you will be able to answer my question. What must you do to your Boomslang?"

"Shred the skin."

Snape's mouth tightened. "That is correct." He turned to face Ron, "Weasley, if the Potion is brewed correctly, how long, exactly, should the potion's effect last?"

"An hour," said Ron, his gazed fixed upon the solitary window in the room.

Snape began to look livid. "What is the vital ingredient that needs to be added, just before the potion is consumed?"

"A bit of the person you're changing into, Sir!" said Harry brightly, a wide grin spread across his face.

Snape was spitting venom at the Gryffindor's, who were, slightly baffled, not to mention just a tad amused, by Snape's up-tight state. "Today, I wish for you to turn to page eighteen of your 'Advanced Potion Making' books and make a start on the Potion of Umbaro. Can anyone except Potter and his posse of annoyingly incompetent fools tell me what this potion does?"

Draco slowly raised his hand and Snape almost collapsed with relief. "Yes Draco?"

"Once it has been drunk, the person who has taken said potion can, for up to ten hours, morph into a shadow-like state and therefore, is able to hide in shadows and move through them. Those in their shadow-like state can not be seen or, if the drinker is a witch or wizard, can their magical energies be sensed. It wasn't used during the last war against the Dark Lord as it was only discovered five years ago."

But it was not Draco that answered, it was Danielle.

"Miss Parker, let me assure you that I don't particularly like students who interrupt the natural flow of my class! Ten points from Gryffindor." A smirk spread across his face. "I'd watch your step if I were you Miss Parker, rest assure I'm watching you, dogging your every move if you understand what I am saying."

"Yes Professor. I'm sorry, I just, wanted to show you that I am very keen to impress you with my Potion making. Albus told me not to cross you."

"Miss Parker, no matter how friendly you appear to be with the Headmaster of this school, let me assure you, in my class room you will only mention him as the Headmaster or Professor Dumbledore!"

"Jeez, you sound just like my dad said you would," she mumbled.

Snape's mouth twitched. "Twenty points from Gryffindor! And I think a special essay about the correct composition of the Potion of Umbaro, the side-effects it can have, and knowledge of what it does to the body. I expect a roll and a half of parchment, on my desk by Monday morning. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Sir… Crystal." She rolled her eyes and began to set up her cauldron.

"That was amazing!" stated Ron and hour and a half later, walking up the steps from the dungeons. "I mean! No one has ever pissed off Snape so badly in their first week before! Well, unless you count Harry, but I think we have to make an exception for him, seeing as Harry's dad and Snape were like mortal enemies!"

"Oh yes Weasley! I can see exactly why that would be such an achievement! If you didn't notice, she lost."

"Look, cuz, as much as I appreciate it and all, I think I had the last laugh, seeing as I concocted my potion with complete accuracy, so much that even Snape couldn't fault it!"

"Well, we're all just happy that Weasley's potion didn't kill us!"

"Yes, but at least his was the right colour! What was yours again, luminous pink? Oh yes I can really see how that potion is going to turn someone into a living shadow! You could see the glow of your potion even through Ron's smoke so, you might want to try shutting up." Draco flushed. "Ah, almost as pink as your potion," she cooed. She patted Draco's cheek and sauntered off up the rest of the stairs in the direction of Gryffindor Tower.

"You know, that girl never ceases to amaze me," whispered Ron, in obvious awe.

The evening air was cool, the sky was an outstretched sea of blues, reds, oranges, yellows and pinks, and two lone Quidditch players were walking down to the Pitch, deep in discussion about their first week back at Hogwarts.

Danielle was already sitting in the changing room when Harry and Ron walked in. "Hiya!" she said cheerfully.

"Have you started Snape's essay yet?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I'm about half way. I think I'm going to go and have a few quick laps of the pitch before we start, I haven't flown in a while."

"Knock yourself out," said Harry casually as she clambered to her feet, picking up, as she went her broomstick. "Holy crap is that a Firebolt?" he exclaimed.

She nodded sheepishly. "Are they allowed on the Quidditch teams?"

"Hell yeah!" shouted Ron. "We are so winning the league! Now we have two Firebolt's on the team! Malfoy is not going to stand a chance!"

"Oh."

"Don't worry, Ron takes beating Malfoy more seriously than even his Quidditch which, quite frankly, is very seriously!" stated Harry, running his fingers through his hair. Ron punched his arm in a playful manner. "Ow, that hurt!" mumbled Harry, rubbing the point on his arm where Ron's fist connected with his flesh. "Don't worry I've had my Firebolt since third year so you'll definitely be allowed it!"

Ron slumped onto the bench next to Harry to tie up his boots as Danielle walked out onto the pitch. "She's cool isn't she?" asked Ron.

"Yeah, she's really nice too. Can you believe she's already started her essay for Snape? I mean, come on, if that was you or me we'd leave it until Sunday night!"

"Yeah," Ron said with a sigh. "Harry, is it wrong of me to well, not like Hermione much at the moment?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What you're saying you _don't_ want to woo her back now?"

Ron grinned in a goofy way, "Who in Merlin's name says woo?"

Harry glowed red. "Shut up Weasley!" he shouted in a rather accurate impression of Draco. "So, seriously, you don't want to go out with her now?"

"Well, I still love her and all, but I don't like her… Does that make sense?"

"No."

"It's sort of that, now that we've broken up she's been a right bitch to me and I hate that. I love her, I really do, I just, don't like the way she's acting. Does it make sense now?"

"I guess. Look, just maybe cool everything off for a while but stay her friend. It'd hurt her way too much if you didn't even grant her that. I think we can safely say that you trying to woo her back failed miserably…"

"Again with the wooing!" shouted Ron, "What is _with_ you?"

Harry laughed, "I think we should go and start practice, we're leaving Danielle all on her lonesome."

Ron shook his head. "Some of that girl's phrases are really starting to rub off on you aren't they? And I don't mean that in a rude way either!" he added as an afterthought.

"Come on." Harry picked up his Firebolt and walked towards the pitch, his comfort zone. He kicked off from the hard earth and soared into the air. Wind rushed past him, the occasional autumnal leaf licking his cheeks.

Danielle soared past him, dropping into a superb dive and pulling out of it six inches from the ground. _She really is an amazing flyer_, thought Harry as she soared towards one set of golden hoops, circled in and out of them and bombed towards the other side as Ron appeared beside him. "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed in Harry's ear. "She's a wicked flyer isn't she?"

Harry nodded. "Danielle?" he yelled towards her. She stopped looping the goals and soared towards Harry.

"Yup?" she asked.

"You play Chaser right?"

"I do indeed. Want me to go and get the Quaffle?"

"No, no, I'll do that. You two just do a few warm up laps," said Harry. They nodded in agreement as Harry dived towards the ground slowly.

He stumbled towards the locker room where the balls were kept. _She'll be a great replacement for Alicia if she can score as well as she can fly._ His attempt to lift the create of balls failed and he found himself hovering it in front of him as he began to make his way to the pitch.

The two lone figures were hovering in the middle of the pitch and suddenly one seemed to slide sideways off of their broom very slowly. The small figure was falling gracefully, long hair rushing upwards away from the pull of gravity. But she was screaming. She was screaming an unearthly scream that chilled Harry to the bone.

He saw Ron drive towards her but Harry knew that he would never catch up. She was as good as dead if she hit the floor. Six feet from collision… Four feet… Two feet… She… She…


End file.
